On Wednesday the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission began the meeting with Planning Staff presenting an update on the status of the Articles 10 and 11 code changes. Unfortunately it is very probable that the Board of Supervisors will not hear the changes until, at least, August because of budget problems. The Commission then discussed their letter about the Lombard Street cottage again and they are having difficulty finding the right wording. It was continued again. Ironically no one mentioned that the Building Inspection Commission voted to reject the proposed blighted and vacant building code changes that were initiated because of the demolition fiasco. I find this whole emergency demolition process fascinating. While the great divide between Planning and Building exists there can be no real solution.
The Branch Library Improvement Program, or BLIP, presented a projects overview. Numerous people came out to speak, both for and against. Turns out several libraries are slated for demolition, including the North Beach and Ortega branches and some of the projects propose questionable additions. I have not been diligent with following the library projects. Perhaps my general avoidance stems from my disappointment with the abandonment of the Old and construction of the New Main Library so many years ago. The Consent Calendar consisted of a signage project for Landmark No. 3 and was unanimously approved. Then it was back to libraries with a Certificate of Appropriateness for a project at the Presidio Branch. I left the meeting around three before the item was completed.
