San Diego

In an effort to strengthen historic preservation efforts in San Diego, the city’s Planning Department Thursday proposed an ordinance that would give a panel of mayoral appointees the power to deny demolition, grading or building permits for developments that would affect areas of historic or archeological significance.

The ordinance would establish a 15-member Cultural Resources Management Commission to list and protect the city’s historically or culturally significant sites. The commission would replace the current Historic Site Review Board, an advisory panel that can only delay harmful developments for 180 days.

In addition to the commission, the proposed ordinance calls for a full-time historic preservation officer. Public hearings on the proposal would be held by the Planning Commission and council before it could be approved.