The Facts

Board President Rafael Mandelman stripped Supervisor Bilal Mahmood of his roles on the Land Use and Government Audit & Oversight committees after a disagreement over Mahmood's proposed amendments to Mandelman's historic preservation ordinance. J.D. Morris and Alyce McFadden at The Chronicle report that Mahmood received no warning and suspects retaliation over the amendments.

The Context

Mandelman and Mayor Daniel Lurie want to designate about 2,500 additional landmarks by 2030 while accelerating the approval process. The pending ordinance would govern landmark and historic-district designations.

Mahmood proposed sensible amendments calculating how much housing capacity would be removed by landmarking, and where the city must replace that lost capacity.

The GrowSF Take

Mahmood is right, and Mandelman handled this terribly. Removing Mahmood without warning after a policy clash is petty.

Calling Mahmood’s amendment “red tape” is particularly rich. Landmarking is permanent red tape on future construction. Counting how many homes it blocks is basic due diligence, not obstruction.

We consider Mandelman an ally, but allies do not get a free pass. He should restore Mahmood to Land Use or at the very least give his amendments a hearing and a vote.