We expected Saturday’s event outside the Mukai farmhouse to draw a crowd of islanders concerned about the situation at the historic site and supportive of the Friends of Mukai’s efforts. What we didn’t expect was the impressive slate of county and state officials who also attended.
Julie Koler, director of the county’s historic preservation office, was there, as was Chris Moore, field director of the statewide nonprofit that recently declared the farmhouse endangered, and a top official from 4Culture. Joe McDermott, Vashon’s representative on the King County Council, spoke at the gathering, and perhaps most significant was an appearance and speech by County Executive Dow Constantine, a busy politician who doesn’t frequently come to the island.
Some spoke in support of the Friends of Mukai, the group seeking to take control of the property from Mary Matthews, director of Island Landmarks, which owns it. Others were less political — Moore said he’d work with either party to bring about progress. All who gave their input at the event, however, spoke of the site’s clear significance and the need for a new direction there. The home and garden’s state of disrepair and the lack of public access, they said, have gone on long enough.
An effort that began with a small group of islanders years ago is now clearly drawing regional attention, and rightfully so. The Beachcomber has tried to cover the dispute between Island Landmarks and the group now called the Friends of Mukai fairly and with balanced reported. Indeed, the situation sometimes boils down to he-said-she-said, and it’s not always clear who’s in the right. Like Moore, we don’t necessarily want to take sides. We simply want to see something meaningful happen at the house and garden, a historical and beloved island place that currently has no clear plan for preservation or sustainable funding source in its future.
On Saturday, the current dispute wasn’t always discussed, but it was clear who was on what side of the fence, literally. Those calling for significant change in how the property is managed, and those with the energy and political backing to help make it happen, gathered together on the street. Matthews stayed on the grounds, keeping them closed, she said, because of the size of the “rally” and the fact that crews were painting that day. The part-time Texas resident who holds firmly to her control over Island Landmarks and the property says she also recognizes that the house and garden aren’t on a sustainable path and need new ownership. However, she offers little explanation for how they might be reclaimed, aside from continuing to put her and her husband’s own money into the property while hoping the National Park Service will eventually take it on. With National Park Service ownership a far stretch, we’re told, we’re willing to bet those outside the fence on Saturday are better equipped to find
solutions for this Vashon place, especially if they continue
to collaborate.
