No Hardy’s redo: Fresno councilman proposes extra protections on historic buildings
Aiming to prevent a repeat of the Hardy’s Theater debacle, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias on Wednesday proposed several amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance designed to strengthen oversight over future renovations to the city’s remaining historic buildings.
Key changes include requiring advance approval by both the Historic Preservation Commission and Fresno City Council for all demolition permits on historic structures, and notifying all residents within a 2,000-foot radius whenever renovations or demolition are proposed.
In addition, historic buildings will no longer be eligible for the city’s at-risk development program — meaning permits must be fully approved before any work can begin.
Arias, who represents the downtown area where “about 90%” of Fresno’s historic structures are located, said he plans to introduce the amendments at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
“We have dozens of amazing buildings that tell the rich journey of our city, but we also have a well-documented history of not protecting them,” Arias said from the steps of City Hall while backed by Historic Preservation Commission members Don Simmons and James Sponsler.
“We have developed a new policy that will strengthen the 40-year-old city ordinance to prevent the future destruction of historical resources without public notice and the robust public debate they deserve.”
The proposed changes would apply not only to the 300-plus structures listed on national, state and local historic registries, but to any buildings more than 50 years old assessed by city staff to have some historical and/or architectural significance.
They would not apply to 104-year-old Hardy’s Theater, which earlier this year had its interior gutted without city staff notifying the Historical Preservation Commission, since that project is ongoing.
However, Arias said the owners of Fresno’s oldest theater have agreed to restore many of the historic interior features that were demolished during renovations as well as keep the Hardy’s name on the marquee.
Fresno City Manager Thomas Esqueda did not return messages seeking confirmation.
Simmons, the Historic Preservation Commission’s longest-tenured member, supported the proposed changes even though they will require more work for the panel of citizen appointees.
“It’s the work we want,” said Simmons, a recently retired Fresno State professor. “It’s the work we should have been doing all along. This is exactly what we signed up for, and we’re grateful to the councilman for making sure that we get to do this work.”
Fresno’s Historic Preservation Ordinance was adopted in 1979 and last updated in 1999, commission members said.
