HELLO supporters of the United Artists Theatre in Berkeley, CA!
Your presence is needed at a CRUCIAL public meeting on Thursday February 1.
Save the UA Berkeley's application to landmark the exterior of the UA theater building is set to be heard by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) at this Feb. 1 meeting. That’s two weeks from tomorrow -- mark your calendars! If you can’t attend, please send an email to the LPC (more on this below).
The hearing will be at the North Berkeley Senior Center at 1901 Hearst Avenue at MLK. There is a new earlier start time of 6:30 pm. Don't worry if you can't be there right at the start. We'll speak during the public comment period at the beginning but also later during the hearing for the agenda item. Please come even if you don't live in Berkeley -- but if you DO live in Berkeley, your presence is even more important.
A reminder that landmarking the building exterior won't itself prevent the theater from being leveled for apartments. But we hope such a designation will be a tool to raise awareness about the value of the theater and its potential to be restored to its original grandeur. If you can't attend the meeting, please write a brief email to the LPC commission SPECIFICALLY in support of the landmark application: lpc@berkeleyca.gov. Send the email BEFORE Feb. 1. See the bottom of this message for email guidance.
A reminder that the landmark application is linked to the front page of our website (www.savetheuaberkeley.org). The site also contains a trove of photos, historical information and arguments in support of preserving the theater (see the History and FAQ sections). You may receive one more message before the Feb. 1 meeting to review talking points and strategy. STAY TUNED.
Finally, please spread the word with anyone who might be interested in the effort to landmark the theater and the LPC hearing on Feb. 1. Thank you!
THANK YOU!
Save the UA Berkeley
GUIDANCE FOR EMAIL TO THE LPC COMMISSIONERS
Here is some language to email to the LPC in support of the landmark application. You can use it exactly or as an example to guide you. Remember to send this email BEFORE the Feb. 1 hearing. The email is lpc@berkeleyca.gov.
If you are a resident of Berkeley, please specify that in your letter! But please write even if you are from outside Berkeley. Feel free to add any other relevant info -- your connection to Berkeley, to the theater, your thoughts on the value of historic theaters, etc. We advise that you don't write negatively about housing construction. Stick to the value of the theater, etc.
Dear LPC commissioners:
I'm writing to urge you to designate the United Artists Theatre building as a landmark. At your meeting on February 1, please vote to landmark the ENTIRE exterior of the building, as is supported by local law.
The UA Berkeley is a paragon of Art Deco architecture that, if destroyed, can never be replaced. It was found eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and it is on the California Register of Historical Resources. The city of Berkeley recognizes it as an "architecturally significant" building and a "structure of merit."
It is the LPC's purpose to protect, preserve, and recognize buildings of high historic and architectural value. Few edifices in Berkeley are more deserving of being landmarked than this magnificent Art Deco movie palace from Hollywood's golden era.
Etc etc.