Historic Preservation vs. Housing — Landmarking as a Blocking Tool

active• berkeley

Berkeley's Landmarks Preservation Commission has become one of the most contentious battlegrounds in the city's housing politics — and the City Council is now moving to reform it. City officials who pushed for Berkeley to require more citizen petitions to start the landmark designation process said they were tired of dubious attempts to landmark properties that were eyed for new housing — a tactic used to trigger lengthy review processes that delay or block infill development. The City Council took up two proposals to require preservationists to collect more signatures to initiate the landmarking process — raising the barrier to what critics call weaponized landmarking while still protecting genuinely historic structures. Simultaneously, the April 2026 agenda included amendments to BMC Title 3.24 (Landmarks Preservation Commission) to revise procedures for designating landmarks, historic districts, and Structures of Merit — a package of technical and policy reforms that will shape how preservation and housing production coexist in Berkeley for years.

Related cause: Historic preservation

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