|
SOHO President's Message
By David W. Goldberg
May/June 2022
 Photo by Sandé Lollis |
Early in my working career, my father told me some of the best advice he’d been given regarding success in his chosen field. Shortly after being hired as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1949, his boss and mentor stated that to succeed in science you needed to get out of the lab, advice he took to heart. I never forgot this, and through the years I’ve come to really appreciate how true this is, not only in science but in pretty much any field of endeavor, including historic preservation.
If historic preservation had “stayed in the lab” and simply concerned itself with saving and protecting historic structures, it wouldn’t have developed an expansive body of knowledge or become a powerful force for good. By “getting out of the lab,” historic preservation has played a key role in revitalizing older neighborhoods and decaying urban cores; helping individuals achieve the “American Dream” of home ownership and financial security; increasing local property tax bases; and city beautification, to name a few results. Moreover, lessons learned and tools from the preservation toolbox can be used to combat two of today’s most pressing issues: housing affordability and the climate crisis.
To alleviate the high cost of housing, two controversial pieces of legislation were signed into California law late last year. The first, SB 9, allows a lot with a single-family home to be split in two, and up to three housing units added to the property. The second, SB 10, permits local jurisdictions to upzone any parcel located in a traffic-heavy or urban infill site to as many as 10 units without CEQA oversight. SB 9, fortunately, provides some protection for historic properties. SB 10 does not. The likely unintended consequences of this legislation are deeply troubling.
A quicker, more cost effective and less environmentally damaging way of increasing housing stock is through the preservation, renovation, and adaptive reuse of older buildings and Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH), typically defined as unsubsidized structures built before 1960. In many places, including San Diego, older properties are an undervalued part of affordable housing strategy. Remedies that could significantly increase the supply of affordable housing include adaptive reuse ordinances and incentives, regulatory relief, zoning barrier reduction, and alternative prescriptive building code regulations, similar to the highly successful California State Historic Building Code.
Another strategy that has received scant attention is the conversion—think adaptive reuse—of underutilized office and commercial buildings into affordable housing. With working offsite becoming commonplace, there already seems to be less need for dedicated office buildings. And now that online shopping has become a way of life, it’s hard to imagine that shuttered big box and brick-and-mortar stores will ever be used for retail purposes again. Revamping these mostly open spaces into affordable housing only makes sense.
SOHO is working hard to help lead San Diego toward more affordable housing and adaptive reuse of older buildings. Elsewhere in this eNews, you’ll find fresh information and advocacy in new, highly readable SOHO briefs we think you’ll appreciate and can share with others.
Simply put, preservation tools and techniques offer solutions to the housing shortage that are less costly than new construction, easier to implement, environmentally sensitive with a lower carbon footprint—and historic resource friendly. Time to get out of the lab, housing advocates!
In conclusion, I must report some very sad news, the passing of long-time SOHO member Vykki Mende Gray. Alana Coons, SOHO’s Education & Communications Director, summed it up beautifully stating, “Vykki was an incredibly talented, intelligent, and accomplished person, one of the smartest people I have ever met. But it was her innate kindness that I will remember most.”
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with as wide a range of interests and talents as Vykki. Individually and as a community, we are better off for having had her in our midst. To my way of thinking, this is the legacy to which we should all aspire and the validation of a life very well lived. All my best thoughts and wishes to David Swarens, Vykki’s partner of 47 years and a longtime SOHO leader, and her family during this very difficult time.
As the weather warms and the days get longer, I look forward to seeing everyone as we enjoy our beautiful and historic city together.
|
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
|
