One of Seattle’s most recognizable landmarks is set to change this spring. On March 30, the city’s Department of Construction and Inspections issued a hazard correction order to the Parks and Recreation Department, requiring it to remove unsafe ladders, piping, and catwalks from the Cracking Towers at Gas Works Park by May 15. The decision followed site visits by inspectors and a review of structural engineering analyses, which concluded that the modifications were necessary to protect public safety. According to the order, failure to meet the deadline could result in a lawsuit and fines of $500 per day for noncompliance with city building codes.
The action comes about eight months after a fatal accident at the park. In July, Mattheis Johnson, a 15-year-old student at Ballard High School, fell from a platform approximately 50 feet high. His family filed a lawsuit against the city in October, alleging that it did not take adequate steps to prevent climbers. Since 2012, at least two other people have died and 11 more have suffered serious injuries in similar incidents at the site.
Gas Works Park, which opened to the public in 1976, occupies the former location of a coal gasification plant. As a designated Seattle landmark, any alterations typically require approval from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Board. However, an exception allows changes without board approval if structures are determined to be unsafe, giving the Department of Construction and Inspections authority in such cases.
In September, Parks officials sought approval from the preservation board to remove climbable elements from the towers following Johnson’s death. The board declined the proposal during an October public meeting and indicated in January that it would not support a revised version, citing concerns about permanently altering the historic structure’s appearance.
Ultimately, in late March, the Department of Construction and Inspections issued the hazard correction order and is now reviewing a construction permit application submitted by Parks officials. The order directs the removal of all ladders, piping, and catwalks from the towers, except for some elements at the very top, as well as a section of pipe that extends beyond the fence surrounding the structures.
