Rules committee forwards Hans Baldorf nomination for Historic Preservation Commission to full Board

Chair Dorsey and the Rules Committee unanimously voted on Sept. 18 to forward Mayor London Breed’s nomination of Hans Baldorf to the Historic Preservation Commission for a term ending Dec. 31, 2026.

Baldorf joined the committee remotely from Naples, Italy, and described decades of local work in historic-adaptive projects, saying he helped transform the Ferry Building market, worked on the Western Furniture Mart redevelopment, and was involved with the Palace of Fine Arts restoration. “I’ve been involved with icons of San Francisco for a long time,” Baldorf said, and he told the committee he was excited about the commission’s legacy-business project, which he described as tying architecture to how people live in the city.

Supervisor Safai asked Baldorf whether he had attended recent Historic Preservation Commission meetings; Baldorf said he had attended a meeting in early August and described himself as mindful of Secretary of the Interior standards while urging a “thoughtful pragmatism” when projects require interpretation. Safai suggested closer Commission coordination with the Planning Department to improve the city’s map of historic designations.

During public comment, a remote caller (David Pilpel) noted typographical errors in the motion text and recommended corrections to the nominee’s name and related lines. Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson told the committee she would pull up the motion and make the necessary corrections.

Chair Dorsey moved to send the nomination to the full Board as a committee report. The clerk recorded roll-call votes of Walton: I; Safai: I; Dorsey: I, and the motion carried unanimously. The nomination will next appear before the full Board for final consideration.