The city of Berkeley is 160 years old, so there is a lot of history tied up in its buildings and architecture. But there is also a need for more housing construction. That is pitting the past against the future, in a battle to change the way the city’s buildings can be protected from the wrecking ball.
Drive down a typical residential street in Berkeley and it’s not hard to imagine that every building has historical value. But over the years, the city says landmarking buildings has simply become a way for neighbors to prevent new home development.
“We are concerned about what we have called some of the frivolous attempts to landmark structures in our city,” said Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, at a meeting in November. “So, the idea here is to increase the threshold for initiating a landmark petition.”…