Despite a veto by Governor Jerry Brown, California’s Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins should keep trying to pass legislation to encourage preservation, says Bay area preservation architect Jerri Holan.
On September 29, 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed AB 1999, legislation that would have provided state credits to historic preservation projects.
He cited a federal rehabilitation tax credit and lost tax revenue as reasons for his veto, writes Jerry Holan, a Fulbright scholar, author, and Bay Area preservation architect.
However Holan says she hopes that Toni Atkins, speaker of the assembly and author of the bill, brings it back. Holan cites seven benefits of the tax credit:
- provide new employment and construction opportunities,
- increase property values,
- generate more sales tax,
- stimulate heritage tourism,
- reduce building decay,
- create more affordable housing, and
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions because the greenest building is one that’s already built.
She concludes:
AB 1999 was a small step in the right direction. California needs better policy and an Economic Development and Historic Tax Credit would have helped. The Governor needs to be reminded that we not only need good public transportation, we also need smart construction. In fact, rehabilitation is much smarter than fast trains: the buildings are already built.
And please tell Toni Atkins to resubmit AB 1999 again next year – it’s a Bill whose time has come.
FULL STORY: AB 1999 – A Missed Opportunity
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.