St. Brigid parish at Van Ness & Broadway, since 1864. Current structure, cornerstone 1900, survives the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.

As many of you know, we have been working with the SF Board of Supervisors to get permanent protection for St. Brigid as a city landmark since January of last year, when the city’s archdiocese announced they would demolish the church and use the proceeds of a proposed $8 million sale to pay the cost of child abuse claims. As you may also remember, after a public outcry, action by the board and by our state senator, Carole Migden, they abandoned that idea. Instead, just before ex-Archbishop Wm. Levada announced he would go to Rome, they sold the church to the Academy of Art College’s Elisa Stephens for $3.7 million.

When she bought the building, Stephens said her main intention was “historic preservation.” But now she and her lawyers are opposing the public landmark ordinance which would provide long-term protection for the building and its interior.

At several Board of Supervisors hearings, which many of you attended, she sought and got delays — but now is proposing a private agreement which would not have the force of law, as a landmark ordinance would, but which would commit her to keeping the building in tact as long as she owns it.

There are pros and cons to each approach, Stephens would make a private agreement immediately. A landmark ordinance would likely provide more durable protections.

So we need your opinion. The Committee will host a town-hall meeting on Tuesday, April 11 to discuss this issue. Please come.

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin will attend if that afternoon’s supervisor’s meeting (which often run late into the evening) does not conflict with ours. Supervisor Peskin has been the city’s strongest champion for St. Brigid. Were it not for his efforts it’s likely we would be facing demolition of our beautiful church.

If you can’t be there personally, please visit the Committee’s web site at: http://www.st-brigid.org/. We’ve set up an area there where you can look at the proposed agreements, read all about the issue, and voice your opinion. Please click on this link: http://www.st-brigid.org/doc/200603aoaproposal.htm

Thanks very much,
Joe Dignan

Question? Please call our voice mail at (415)364-1511 or
email us at info@st-brigid.org