Thursday, September 26, 2013

Talaris Driveway Barricaded And Curious Email Perhaps From A Talaris Representative

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Driveway of Talaris with new chain and other barricades across the driveway





The owner of Talaris is still making changes at the campus, as nearby residents told us.

Yesterday a chain was put up across the driveway on NE 41st, and in front of the chain is are two orange cones at either end of the driveway and a wooden barricade in the middle, all serving as a barricade prohibiting people from entering the campus.

Hanging from the chain across the driveway is a "No Public Access" sign that says:

Use of this campus is reserved solely for tenants and invited guests of the Conference Center/Lodge. Violation of this condition is trespassing pursuant to SMC 12A, 08.040, 9A, 52.080
Here is information on the specific City codes cited on the Talaris signs, which if violated could result in jail time for 90 days or a $1000 fine.

Neighbors who use the services at Talaris, such as the acupuncture clinic, wonder how they will now drive into Talaris saying:

Am I supposed to get out of my car and remove the chain blocking the driveway and then the wooden barricade and then the two cones, especially at my older age?  
I wonder if my acupuncturist knows about this as I may no longer be able to go there with this latest activity. It would be too bad if the businesses starting losing customers as a result of this. Were they in on this decision? Probably not.
And will there be a security guard at the chained off driveway now? It is hard to understand the intent of Talaris with all their recent activity.

Other  "No Trespassing" signs, along with the four feet chain link fencing.  were installed September 10th around the property, most visibly on the large grass area along NE 41st where children have for decades played soccer. Other more home-made type fencing was also put up along the northwest side of the campus

Neighbors have found this latest barricades curious because  with the Battelle/Talaris campus approval for nomination as an Historic Landmark by the City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board last Wednesday, the Blog Staff was told that no changes could be made to the property without the Landmarks Board approval.

As we posted in a previous blog post:


Any additional fencing gating or modification to the site should be reported to Erin Doherty Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator, at erin,doherty@seatte.gov
The Laurelhurst Blog Staff also received email from a "Steven Goff" yesterday afternoon, which coincidentally is the same name as referenced in a previous blog post as one of the representatives from Pistol Creek Management, the company that is involved with ownership of Talaris.  Bruce McCaw is referenced as Chairman Emeritus of Pistol Creek and Co-Chair of Talaris.

This website says about Pistol Creek: "Pistol Creek Financial is a real estate investment firm that specializes in advising and investment services for commercial clients."  The owner of Talaris listed on the City's Public Records is Greg Vik, with 4000 Property LLC, also associated with Pistol Creek.

Seattle Mansions Blog says in a February 2011 post that Bruce McCaw "is involved in large scale commercial real estate investments with his Pistol Creek Financial Company."


Alan, Manager of the Talaris Conference Center, gave the Laurelhurst Blog Staff the name "Steve Goff" as a contact for issues and other neighbors were also given the same name as a contact for the property. 

The email address corresponds to this Blog and Linked In shows someone by this name as Director of Real Estate at Pistol Creek Company for the last two years.

The email from "Steven Goff" to the Laurelhurst Blog Staff says:

Dear blog,
You might consider printing a randon sampling of comments from the Seattle Times story on Talaris. Sounds like you folks have few friends but a lot of fresh nicknames.
Yotie





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