It is great to state that a Historic Preservation Commission in the realm of San Francisco, a port in western California near the Golden Gate that is one of the major industrial and transportation centers, is a reality. It is to be noted that San Francisco was one of the cities in the country that was devoid of any Historic Preservation Commission. However, the voting by a large number of San Franciscans to establish a new Historic Preservation Commission this past November changed the scenario.
What is Historic preservation then? It is basically a useful planning tool that is used by almost every city at present to improve livability and to maintain and adaptively use again underutilized buildings. It must be stated San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Plaza has transformed into an international tourist destination and Farmers Market thanks to the effective application of this tool. What’s about the regulations and restrictions of the new commission then? Well, they are not much different from the previous and out-of-date Landmarks Advisory Board. However the legislation does not “make it easier to declare a neighborhood a historic district.” On the other hand it brings to the fore quite a lot of avenues to start off the nomination process (allowing citizens to get signatures on a petition, for example). All nominations must be examined as before: approved by the new commission, then go to the Board of Supervisors.
In the earlier times they had to be approved by the Planning Commission and only then they could go to the Board of Supervisors. The level of review and analysis is no less. In addition, historic districts are not “declared” if the majority of property owners in the proposed district do not agree with it.
Well, some persons are thinking that contributing buildings to historic districts will be “nearly impossible to change, tear down or renovate” but this is not right. They will be required to get approval from the Historical Preservation Commission in place of the Planning Commission. What’s more, property owners will not have to visit both commissions, and applications for permits to alter contributing buildings will not automatically be rejected.
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