A proposal to designate the Ballard Library, located at 5711 24th Ave. NW, as an official city landmark will be considered by the Landmarks Preservation Board on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The meeting, which begins at 3:30 p.m., will be held in Room 1003, 10th floor of the Arctic Building, 700 Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. Also up for landmarks consideration are the Susan J. Henry (Capitol Hill) and Magnolia libraries. A copy of the Landmark Nominations is available for public review at the Ballard Library. The Historic Preservation Program is part of the Cityıs Department of Neighborhoods. For more information, call 206-684-0228.

PCC closes Ravenna store after 30 years

On Jan. 13, the Puget Consumers Coop closed its Ravenna store, at 6504 20th Ave. NE, which was the oldest store in PCCıs chain.

The reason: greater competition in the upscale grocery sector, particularly with the recent opening of the much larger Whole Foods store just up the street at NE 65th and Roosevelt Way.

PCC Chief Operations Officer Tracy Wolpert said customers wanted PCC to provide a more comprehensive shopping experience than its small Ravenna store could offer.

³The market has changed,² said PCC spokeswoman Trudy Bialic. ³Our customers love the products but want more selection.²

Bialic says closing its Ravenna store will make PCC better able to improve and expand its other stores, which include locations in the Green Lake and Fremont neighborhoods.

While some PCC members angrily opposed the companyıs decision to close the Ravenna, Bialic said most become more understanding when they learn that the decision was not made in haste, and that it was made to ensure the survivability of the coop as a whole because of shifts in the market.