What is going on with the 'Historic Heist' of North Beach?
A small group of people in a members-only group are trying to force private property owners in North Beach into a Historic District without their consent and in many cases, without their awareness. View this video for greater context.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
A small group of people are driving for a Historical Designation on approximately 650 residential and commercial buildings in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Many of the owners affected aren't aware of the effort and if they don't act NOW, this designation will be made to their property – perhaps as soon as Summer 2025.
WHAT COULD THIS MEAN TO YOU?
A faraway committee that may not value the same things as you (more eco-friendly, more space for families and younger people, etc.), doesn't have the same challenges as you, and certainly isn't as vested in your property as you, may decide, after you've spent money to architect a solution that meets City Building Codes, that your changes aren't, in their eyes "in keeping with the character of the neigborhood".
AM I AFFECTED?
The homes being targeted by the Northeast San Francisco Conservancy are in the yellow highlight area depicted in this map below.
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WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
Inaction = Approval
Unfortunately, these actions will become the plan BY DEFAULT if the affected District 3 property owners don't take action!
Petition by
Telegraph Hill Dwellers
Evaluation by State Office
by OHP
WE ARE HERE
Opportunity
to Stop! *
Notification
Letters Sent
to Owners
by SHRC
Critical
45 Day
Window
to Act! **
Historic House /
Historic
District
Designation
Objection Letters must be received before 'listing'
- From Owners (and Partial Owners)
- By >= 51% of Owners to overturn the district designation
- National Listing 'usually' takes place 45 days after nomination from the State
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THD and their agents have nominated large swaths of D3 to the State Office of Historic Preservation
*OPPORTUNITY TO STOP!
WHEN: NOW!
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Complete an Objection Letter
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ARE YOU AWARE? Of the Proposed North Beach Historic District?
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ALERT: Property Owners Impacted by Proposed North Beach Historic District,
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As a property owner you have a right to remove your property from the historic district designation. If 51% of property owners object, the Nomination will not move forward. All partial owners of designated properties should individually voice their opposition, e.g. each TIC partner, LLCs, etc. This is a two-step process:
By May 1, all owners and partial owners of designated properties should individually voice their opposition, e.g. each TIC partner, LLCs, etc. Please use the letter here to oppose.
Within 45-days of the May 9th affirmative vote by the State HPC, all owners must send letters to remove your property from the register. For the letter to remove your property, check back here.
Please share with fellow neighborhood property owners.Time is of the essence.
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WHY OBJECT: The Proposed North Beach Historic District is dangerously flawed:
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Increases cost for regular maintenance: The cost to do regular maintenance items such as change windows will increase due to more red tape imposed by regulators. On larger renovations, CEQA requirements may kick in and those reviews are very expensive.
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Increases cost or causes loss of insurance: Immediate financial impact will be increased premiums, or you could face non-renewal of property and liability insurance.
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Process flawed and unrepresentative: The North Beach Historic District proposal, was not vetted in a public forum within the community, prior to final submission to the City of San Francisco and State of California Historic Commission Boards. Impacted property owners were only notified when the plan was pre-baked and then provided limited policy links to decipher.
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Concept generated by special interests and sponsored by a private nonprofit: A mix of historic preservationist individuals in conjunction with the Northeast San Francisco Conservancy, a private single purpose nonprofit, generated this district plan over decades. The current proposal doubles the existing historic zones from a 1982 survey (see map).
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Housing delayed or stopped: The strategy to use historic districting is a trojan horse to stop all development, including much needed housing, especially in North Beach.
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Tax credits have limited value to small property owners: Historic tax credits programs are incredibly complex thus only larger organizations, developers and businesses are equipped to hire expensive legal and financial consultants. Mills Act benefits are minimal because Prop 13 has already depressed property tax liabilities.
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Opposition Action:
Please Email By Thursday, May 1st, to object and in addition, you have a right to remove your property from the registry. To request removal action, you can use the form letter provided here and E-mail your objection to the people below:
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Email voice your objections to the following:
TO:
Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer
calshpo.shrc@parks.ca.gov
CC:
D3 Sauter Legislative Aide: michelle.andrews@sfgov.org
Mayor’s Director of State and Federal legislative Affairs: eileen.f.mariano@sfgov.org
Mayor’s Director of Housing: Ned.segal@sfgov.org
Senator Weiner District Director: Jeff.Sparks@sen.ca.gov
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** CRITICAL WINDOW TO ACT!
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Write the Objection Letter to the State Historical Resources Commission
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State Historic Preservation Officer
Office of Historic Preservation
1725 23rd Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816-7100
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IF this time comes, you will need to send a timely response to the letter from the government and tell them that you do not want to have your home designated as within a Historical District.