Mr. and Ms. O'Malley are planning to bring back the Daily Planet, possibly very soon. I'd jump for joy, except these are not people I trust. Ms. O'Malley is on the Berkeley Landmarks Commission, also known as a pit of pure evil where anti-Developers plot ways to slow development by other means. Here's a story-- from the Planet-- about the famed Flower Shop house renovation blocked by the BLC.

But here's the truly amazing statement, but a Commission member:
Tim Kelly, an architectural consultant hired by the developers, agreed with a previous historical resources report that said the Victorian failed to qualify as a “structure of merit” because it had undergone so many changes.

“It’s history, but not significant history,” said Kelly, who pointed out that stucco had been laid on the building and that much of it had been rebuilt after a fire in the 1940s.

Commissioner Becky O’Malley, on the other hand, said the renovations added to Victorian’s significance.

“If you have a building that has changed over time, it in itself is part of the historical record,” she said.

The first problem with that: it's a complete Catch-22. Don't renovate your old Victorian? Then it's an old landmark and certainly worthy to be frozen. Renovated it extensively? Shoot, that just makes it even more historical! Landmark that puppy!

And if Ms. O'Malley feels that renovations and changes to historical structures make them even more valuable, then why shut off any possibility of changing it by designating it historical? By her own logic, wouldn't she want the building to be a living, breathing piece of architecture instead of putting it in stasis forever?

Amazing people.

Ms O'Malley's plans for the Planet are:

The new paper would focus on a creating a wide community base, covering city issues, local high school sports and expand city arts coverage, Wagley said.

Ms. Wagley-- last seen screwing Mr. Katz over by not endorsing him to preserve her own political purity-- is also involved.

Not to say that this paper will become an anti-Developer Patrick Kennedy screed. There are encouraging signs, such as ending the pointless AP wire stories. But I'm cautious.Email This Post!