Policy Papers
On Monday, May 2, 2011, the Land Use Committee of the Board of Supervisors held a special hearing to “examine the balance between historic preservation and other public policy goals in San Francisco.” The hearing was requested by District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who has questioned “how our City government’s increasing prioritization of historic preservation is impacting, and possibly undermining, other key policy objectives”—such as housing, parks, libraries, and pedestrian safety.
Once-threatened buildings saved from demolition
Heritage embraced this opportunity to address how preservation plays a key role in maintaining the City’s world-class character while meeting today’s needs. As a testament to the passion surrounding this topic, there were nearly four hours of public testimony. Although a strong majority spoke in favor of historic preservation, some legitimate concerns were raised about financial and regulatory burdens on owners of historic properties.
Read Heritage Executive Director Mike Buhler’s opinion piece on the hearing published in the San Francisco Chronicle May 2. A Future Rooted in San Francisco History
The documents below were created to help preservation supporters develop talking points for the hearing.
–How Historic Preservation Benefits San Francisco (PDF)
–Myths About Historic Preservation (PDF)
–Letter from Historic Preservation Commission to the Land Use & Economic Development Committee, April 28, 2011 (PDF)
Thank you in advance for voicing your support for historic preservation in San Francisco!
Heritage prepared brief one-page fact sheets on historic preservation’s impact on other public policy objectives in the city. These documents are intended to debunk common myths about preservation using examples, studies, and relevant data.
–A Primer on Historic Preservation (PDF)
–Affordable Housing (PDF)
–Benefits of Historic Resource Surveys (PDF)
–Economic Impacts (PDF)
–Historic Parks (PDF)
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