Current Events and Commentary on Protecting Historic Resources

This is the Public Commentary delivered at the Historic Resources July meeting at San Diego City Hall by Prof Bill Neill, Executive Director.

July 22, 2010, meeting Historical Resources Board. (You may commence the slides now)

Members of the Board, ladies and gentlemen:

My name is Prof Bill Neill, as Executive Director of the Historic California Theater and Youth Orchestra Group, I welcome this opportunity to address this board today. I have an enormous passion for the theater, especially the People's Theater.

It is not my intention to politicize this issue that is equally important to all our historic resources, but I must remind you all to just keep in mind: Time is the enemy; it is not me.

I raised the issues of protecting history nearly a year ago. I pressed ahead asking for urgent action on the way in which a property, be it as big as a building as it is in this case or as small as a hand woven basket, they are each history in the hand.

We are the caretakers of this history!

You are the designated board to establish historic items!

Once done, owners have various rightful advantages, but that whole scene has a second act: these historic items must be protected from fire, theft, vermin, graffiti, and the elements. I note that just in the last few weeks ago the entire building was damaged by rude decorations on the walls; this is graffiti. How did they get a permit to paint a historic resource without disclosing the details?

Broken windows allowing birds and bees to enter a historic building must be promptly repaired. We have various formats within which to work, but where is the Clean Up and Abatement order on this property?

Where are the compelling repairs to the Historic California Theater? Such as a new roof on each of the three areas needed to protect it from water damage?

We must keep in mind, these are irreplaceable items. To have lost an artifact due to water damage is unforgivable, so dereliction of duty to a fiduciary duty and obligation to specific performance simply must not happen or be tolerated.

Where are the motivating fines?

We are dealing with a company that is of a size that is in the 100s of millions of dollars. They acquired this property by way of default and foreclosure and are not motivated to view this property as anything other than its potential as a financial investment.

They do not care about the historic value of this property! It is just a potential profit center to be exploited to the point of no more profits. We know this to be true, because of their lack of action, but that is about to take a major change in attitude, enforcement and results.

I have researched and found that courts have imposed fines on the order of $ 1,000. / day, with some even imposing them to the tune of $ 1,000. / hour.

A fine of $25,000. per day is my target!

Get it fixed or pay or donate it to our organization and we will fix it. These fines should commence in 30 days, not months and months from now.

As I pointed out earlier, I have a passionate interest in this theater and I will stop at nothing to get it one way or the other. We WILL acquire the Historic California Theater property and demand that it is protected from all that might harm it. Many people are disconnected from history so it's nice to reconnect to our past.

I have more, if the board will allow me?

Are there any questions.

Thank you all for your time.

Prof Bill Neill and his dog Prince