The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board ruled July 1 that a 1921 annex to Fire Station 9 in Fremont is not a landmark.

The board voted 5-4 in favor of designating the building a landmark but needed six votes for the designation to pass.

The failure to achieve landmark status leaves room for the annex to be demolished, along with Fire Station 9, to make way for an upgraded station paid for by a 2003 levy.

Many community letters were submitted in support of the annex, and a number of people spoke on its behalf.

“It is an important part of Seattle Fire history," said Valerie Bunn, a volunteer for the Fremont Historical Resources Project. "This building is the only one left of its type in Seattle.”

“The building is much loved and much respected," said Eric Piel of the Fremont Consortium Society. "It is meaningful to the residents of the neighborhood.”

But, the final word belonged to the board members.

"It’s a very simple building," board member Mollie Tremaine said in support of the structure. "It's often overlooked, but it has historic character. And, those kinds of small, simple builds do have a place in our neighborhood.”

“I think it's clear that Daniel Huntington (architect of the annex) designed far more critical buildings in the neighborhood," board member Meridith Wirsching said against the designation. "I don’t consider this one of them.”

The Fire Station 9 annex has been used to prepare and store oxygen tanks since the 1980s, according to the landmark nomination.

The annex is a 2,300-square-foot, stucco-clad concrete structure, according to the nomination.

The current Fire Station 9 building itself was built in the 1950s.