The owner of a historic building in San Francisco severely punished for what he demolished the building. The city authorities ordered him to build a house anew exactly as it was, and of the same materials, thus put a sign that this new building. It is the owner’s plan to build a large modern mansion for his family.
Certainly a #HotTopic in #SFRealEstate. On the heels of the proposed Housing Preservation and Expansion Reform Act, the owner of the property, Ross Johnston, is now ordered to rebuild this 1936. https://t.co/ewGcw1DS5Z pic.twitter.com/ajYo271NQR
— Mark D McHale (@markdmchale) December 17, 2018
Ross Johnston bought a house, done in art Nouveau style, for $1.7 million and received permission for the reconstruction. The building was large enough and quite old. But it was a building built by Richard Neutral: his creations are only five in all of San Francisco. The house was built of wood and brick for the family that even named your born here then the child of Richard — in honor of the architect. Therefore, the authorities allow the reconstruction, has obliged the new owner to preserve the historical appearance of the building and the first floor and not touch.
Meanwhile, last fall, the owner demolished the building as a whole, the wreckage was taken on the trucks and started building a new house for his family on 4 thousand square meters — a real modern mansion. Neighbor Cheryl Travers has drawn a complaint to the city authorities. The trial lasted a year, and finally San Francisco has ruled.
Richard Neutra’Largent’s house illegally demolished by owner Ross Johnston seeking to build a 4,000-sf mcmansion in place of modest 1,312-sf he bought for $1.7 million, is ordered by SF Planning to be rebuilt exactly as it stood in 1936, using the same materials and methods. pic.twitter.com/w6Mh0Upe56
— blue 🌊 rant 🎄 (@web_rant) December 17, 2018
Planning Commission San Francisco ordered Johnston to build exterior Largent house exactly as it stood in 1936, using the same materials and methods. Johnston must also install a sign on the sidewalk which says its 81-year history, from construction to destruction.
Commissioner of planning city Dennis Richards called the decision a victory, but said in an interview for Washington Post that San Francisco is literally plagued by the «epidemic of architectural cannibalism». Cases such as the Big house Natry too much. People buy old houses and demolish them to build modern high-rises. This is often done with the purpose of further sale. On the demolition of architectural heritage earn. Richards advocated the adoption of a new law prohibiting such a business.
Kudos to Supervisor @AaronPeskin and his aide @LeeHepner for developing and introducing a much needed demolition reform law. Too many relatively affordable SF starter homes and flats are demolished illegally to build outsized living terribly unaffordable McMansions! pic.twitter.com/Gk1CuoynAx
— Dennis Richards (@PlnCom_Richards) December 11, 2018
«We are developing and implementing much-needed reform act of demolition. Too much relatively inexpensive houses demolished illegal to build a dwelling!», — wrote Richards on Twitter at the time when lovers of art Nouveau celebrated the victory in a Commission for a Large house.
