San Francisco cottage's demise spurs calls for new rules (historic preservation)

[Duncan Grant]

The cottage at 1268 Lombard St. was built in 1861 and had been left vacant by the owners for several years. (Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle)


A cottage at 1268 Lombard St. built in 1861 is demolished. (Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle)

The demolition of an 1861 building on Russian Hill is an example of what San Francisco officials say is a serious problem: Hundreds of owners are letting residential properties deteriorate or remain vacant, posing safety hazards, harming historic resources and spurring a drive for new legal powers to force corrections.

As a small group of protesters looked on, a wrecking crew used a backhoe Monday to demolish a cottage that had been listed as a historic resource. The workers left behind a pile of debris and a clear view of Angel Island on the spot where the Victorian had stood on Lombard Street for 148 years.

Dilapidated residences mark the city like festering sores, even in well-off areas. Across the street from the Lombard lot sits another empty Victorian-era home in blatant disrepair. A front window is broken, and missing stairs have left a 20-foot drop from the front door. A few blocks away on Union Street, another empty house has been boarded up. There is no exact tally of the number of vacant or deteriorating homes, but "it is a severe problem," said Debra Walker, a member of the city's Building Inspection Commission and a declared candidate for supervisor in 2010. A building inspection official said there are hundreds of them.

More...

I thought this story might lead to an interesting discussion about historic preservation. The following link -- "Save 39 Chattanooga Street!" -- is about a home in my neighborhood (c. 1870) which was recently saved. I offer it as a contrast to the story above.



Is preservation valued in your city? Any links to local historic preservation efforts would be appreciated - thanks!