Tired of frivolous' landmark attempts, Berkeley council members want to raise bar for petitions

"The Berkeley City Council could raise the threshold for citizen petitions that seek to declare properties landmarks, in an attempt to crack down on what some members regard as dubious attempts to block the demolition of properties where developers want to build new housing."

"Preservationists, meanwhile, say the item is an overreaction that will make it harder to preserve properties that embody local history."

"Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani's proposal calls for increasing the number of petition signatures from Berkeley residents required to start the landmarking process for a property."

"The council is expected to act on several changes to Berkeley's process for designating city landmarks, and choose between proposals from Councilmembers Rashi Kesarwani and Igor Tregub."

The Berkeley City Council is reviewing proposals to increase the number of citizen petition signatures needed to initiate a landmarking process. This change aims to prevent what some council members view as misuse of the landmarking process to obstruct housing development. Councilmembers Rashi Kesarwani and Igor Tregub have introduced different proposals for this increase. Preservationists argue that these changes could hinder efforts to protect historically significant properties. The council is expected to vote on these proposals and finalize changes to the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance in the future.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org