A public hearing is slated for Monday afternoon to determine whether the Duboce Park area should become the city's 12th historic district.
The district would span the area bounded by Waller, Scott, Duboce, and Steiner (excluding the park itself, which has changed too significantly over the years). Property owners within a historic district may be eligible for tax savings under the Mills Act for renovation projects, although they're also subject to extra review if they want to make any external changes. So, there are pros and cons. Monday's hearing, held by the Board of Supervisors' Land Use Committee, is one of the final steps in a process that began about two years ago. From August of 2011 to December of 2012, the Planning Department hosted a number of community meetings, workshops, and public hearings. At the end of 2012, both the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors declare the area a historic district. Now it's just up to the Board of Supervisors. Some neighbors are not so happy about the proposal, however. "There is growing concern amongst our neighbors that we are being steam rolled into a historic district by the city," one Potomac Street resident emailed us in February. "It was not requested by our neighborhood and certainly does not have overwhelming support." Specifically, he said the outreach from the city had been insufficient, and that residents' concerns were being ignored. In response, the Planning Department recently posted an update "to correct the record and provide information to assist residents and property owners in understanding the review process... and in developing an informed opinion regarding the proposed District." According to the response, many of the residents' concerns are either based on misinformation, or have been incorporated into the plan. For example, the Department has scaled back the review process required for many upgrades, like alterations to the rear of properties. And the Board of Supervisors has recently passed legislation making it easier for property owners to take advantage of savings under the Mills Act. Still, if you're a resident in the proposed area, and have concerns or comments to share, you may want to attend Monday's 1:30pm hearing at City Hall, room 263. If you can't make it, you can mail your comments to Angela Calvillo at City Hall Room 244, SF CA 94102.
The district would span the area bounded by Waller, Scott, Duboce, and Steiner (excluding the park itself, which has changed too significantly over the years). Property owners within a historic district may be eligible for tax savings under the Mills Act for renovation projects, although they're also subject to extra review if they want to make any external changes. So, there are pros and cons. Monday's hearing, held by the Board of Supervisors' Land Use Committee, is one of the final steps in a process that began about two years ago. From August of 2011 to December of 2012, the Planning Department hosted a number of community meetings, workshops, and public hearings. At the end of 2012, both the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors declare the area a historic district. Now it's just up to the Board of Supervisors. Some neighbors are not so happy about the proposal, however. "There is growing concern amongst our neighbors that we are being steam rolled into a historic district by the city," one Potomac Street resident emailed us in February. "It was not requested by our neighborhood and certainly does not have overwhelming support." Specifically, he said the outreach from the city had been insufficient, and that residents' concerns were being ignored. In response, the Planning Department recently posted an update "to correct the record and provide information to assist residents and property owners in understanding the review process... and in developing an informed opinion regarding the proposed District." According to the response, many of the residents' concerns are either based on misinformation, or have been incorporated into the plan. For example, the Department has scaled back the review process required for many upgrades, like alterations to the rear of properties. And the Board of Supervisors has recently passed legislation making it easier for property owners to take advantage of savings under the Mills Act. Still, if you're a resident in the proposed area, and have concerns or comments to share, you may want to attend Monday's 1:30pm hearing at City Hall, room 263. If you can't make it, you can mail your comments to Angela Calvillo at City Hall Room 244, SF CA 94102.
