Rules Committee forwards two preservation nominees, holds one nominee after Harding Theatre debate

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Rules Committee on a special meeting considered the mayor’s nominations to the new Historic Preservation Commission created by Proposition J and forwarded two nominees to the full Board while holding another for further vetting.

Board President Aaron Peskin, who chaired the meeting, said several nominees had withdrawn and criticized the mayor’s handling of appointments. "The mayor's office has been playing plenty of games all the way through this process," Peskin said, arguing that several forwarded names did not match the seat‑specific qualifications established by Proposition J.

Nominee Charles Chase, who was forwarded to the full Board for seat 3, described a 30‑year preservation career that included serving as executive director of San Francisco Architectural Heritage and as a preservation officer in Charleston, South Carolina. "I am a 10 year veteran of historic preservation in San Francisco," Chase said, and detailed graduate studies and publications he said meet the secretary‑of‑interior and seat‑specific requirements read to the committee.

Jonathan Perlman, whose nomination the committee did not forward, defended his experience in architecture and historic resource work but faced repeated questioning over his role in an environmental review for the Harding Theatre project. Perlman said adaptive reuse often involves tradeoffs and that his report reflected the building’s documented historic use and condition; critics in the preservation community said his earlier evaluation supported demolition and did not sufficiently apply Secretary of the Interior standards.

Rich Hillis of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development told the committee the office had worked quickly to identify candidates and that some withdrew over the holidays. "We've reached out to the preservation community," Hillis said, and the mayor’s office said it would continue vetting candidates for the remaining slots.

Members of the preservation community provided mixed testimony. Supporters — including representatives of San Francisco Architectural Heritage and other preservation organizations — praised Chase and other nominees for technical qualifications and urged the committee to move promptly to seat the new commission. Several preservationists and residents, however, urged caution on Perlman and pointed to prior Harding Theatre proceedings and environmental review documents as cause for further review.

On procedure, the committee discussed the 60‑day rule for mayoral appointments and whether the Board needed to act before nominees take office. To resolve the immediate slate, the committee voted to forward Charles Chase (seat 3) and Courtney Demkroger (seat 5) to the full Board with recommendation and to keep Jonathan Perlman in committee for additional vetting; several other nomination items were tabled or continued. The committee approved the motion without objection and adjourned.

Next steps: the forwarded nominations will appear on the full Board agenda; the committee said it would continue to work with the mayor’s office and preservation groups on the remaining appointments ahead of any deadlines.