Bill 080527: Historic Preservation of Public Interiors

6/18/2009

Historic Interiors Bill Passed by City Council

City Council voted 14-2 to pass legislation that adds interiors to existing preservation law. The bill gives the Philadelphia Historical Commission the authority to designate interiors of buildings as historic, under certain terms and conditions. View Bill 080527-A as amended on floor June 11.

5/14/2009

Historic Interiors Bill Amended on Floor May 14

Bill 080527, which adds interiors to existing preservation law, was amended in City Council on May 14, 2009. Click here to view the current legislation.

4/27/2009

Councilman Green Proposes Changes to Historic Interiors Bill

Originally introduced in May 2008, Bill 080527 would add interiors to existing preservation law under certain terms and conditions. Councilman Green is proposing three substantive changes to the current version of the bill that address effective date, private residences, and new permit requirements. Green’s amendments are summarized in an April 27, 2009 Memorandum to City Council. Click here to view Bill 080527 with proposed additions and deletions. Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation on the historic preservation of interiors prepared by the Office of Councilman Bill Green.

PCPC Special Meeting 8/19/2008:

Planning Commission Forwards Interiors Bill to City Council

At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of revised Bill No. 080527 to City Council. In its current form, the bill gives the Philadelphia Historical Commission the authority to designate interiors of buildings as historic, provided the spaces are designed or used for public purposes and are not significantly altered. The bill is not retroactive and PHC must specifically include internal spaces in the designation; interiors will not be automatically preserved along with the historic building. Once the bill is enacted, rules and regulations will be drafted by PHC to apply the new law in practice. PCPC staff will participate in the process, which must include a series of public hearings.

PHC Meeting 8/8/2008:

Historical Commission Recommends Interiors Bill

The Philadelphia Historical Commission reviewed the findings of its Ad Hoc Committee on Legislation and voted to recommend approval of Bill No. 080527 to the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The bill adds interiors to existing preservation law, which currently protects only the exteriors of designated historic buildings.

PCPC Special Meeting 6/17/2008:

PCPC Considers Amendment to Historic Preservation Ordinance

The PCPC decided to take another 45 days to consider its recommendation on Bill No. 080527, which adds certification for public interiors to the existing historic preservation ordinance. While generally supported in concept, the Preservation Alliance and others expressed concerns about the details of the bill, suggesting that implementation may add costs and delays, potentially hampering important preservation and adaptive reuse projects. Bill Green, one of the Councilmembers introducing the bill, noted that the bill simply asks PCPC to include the designation of interiors and that substantive changes to the current preservation law will be developed by the Historical Commission, which will be reviewing the proposed ordinance in detail this summer. The PCPC moved to take the 45 days so that the Historical Commission’s review can be considered as part of their recommendation.

06/08:

Bill No. 080527 Historic Interiors legislation

Approved by Committee but “without rules suspension”, which is Council’s way of preventing the bill from passing until September. Amending Section 14-2007 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Historic Buildings, Structures, Sites, Objects and Districts,” to permit the historic designation of the public interior portion of buildings, and making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.