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Commissioners, preservationists clash over demolition rules and Certificates of Appropriateness
Summary
Draft Article 10 tightens the definition of "demolition" (percent thresholds for exterior/interior removal and a strict economic-value test), prompting concern that the changes could block seismic retrofits, affordable-housing projects, and rehabilitation; staff and commissioners discussed adding specific exceptions or giving the Historic Preservation Commission discretion.
The Planning Department's proposed rewrite of Article 10 drew sustained debate April 2 over how the code should define demolition for landmarks and contributing buildings in historic districts. Tara Sullivan, planning staff, summarized the draft definition and its consequences and flagged a possible mismatch between demolition thresholds and the practical need to allow extensive rehabilitation in certain cases.
Sullivan told the commission that under the proposed language a project would qualify as a demolition if it removed specified proportions of exterior or interior fabric and that, as written, the Historic Preservation…
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