A statement from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society Board released this week urges the owner of the Homestead Restaurant, a Seattle city landmark, to restore the fire damaged building and protect it in its damaged state, but owner Tom Lin said he is disappointed the board did not come to him first before making a public announcement.

"I'm very disappointed," said Lin. "When there's an important statement to be made, the party involved should be notified and confirmed."

Lin said he feels the statement from the historical board in support of the building's preservation, which calls the future of the building "uncertain" and urges it be better protected in adverse weather since the damage and that the yard and landscaping be maintained among other things, implies that he has not been taking care of the structure or working to preserve and restore it.

Lin said he has every intention of restoring the landmarked building.

As proof, Lin said he has been in discussion with Mark Fritch, owner of Log Homes based in Sandy, Ore., about making improvements to the 100-year-old building even before the Jan. 16 fire damaged its roof and dining area.

In a letter from Fritch to the West Seattle Herald, he said, "Even before the fire Tom (Lin) and I had been talking about how to best repair, protect and improve the Homestead."

"Tom and I have been meeting with an architect and speaking with people from the City of Seattle to determine what the correct sequence of events will be," Fritch continued in the letter. "These are not over-night activities. The Building Codes Division is requiring that the structure be brought up to current codes with regards to plumbing, electrical, ADA, fire systems, seismic, public health and safety and more. The repairs will take time and should not be rushed. It is not a quick process and the fact that it is a log structure greatly compounds the process. Tom Lin has been working on this since the fire."

Fritch also said that his great grandfather, Anton Borgen, helped build the Log House Museum building and the Homestead, formerly Fir Lodge.

Fritch, who considers himself an expert in the construction and preservation of log homes, said the building is not being further damaged "in its present condition," having visited several times since the fire.

But Lin did say that a tarp that was put over the hole in the Homestead's roof has ripped and needs to be replaced.

"I need to put it back on or I need to find a better one," said Lin.

In the meantime, Lin said he is still waiting for word from his insurance companies before he can move forward with any restoration work. He has instructed his landscaper to continue to maintain the yard and plants, he said.

Check back for updates to this story. Calls are out to members of the Southwest Historical Board for comment.