Features

Landmarks Preservation commissioners will consider a trio of controversial applications when they meet Monday night. 

The first two seek to landmark a pair of buildings at the site of a proposed four-story condo and commercial project at 700 University Ave. 

The third seeks to designate a brick-and-mortar industrial building at 2701-2721 Eighth St. that has been a bone of contention between an artists’ collective and the Berkeley/East Bay Humane Society. 

The application to landmark the Celia’s Restaurant Building and Brennan’s Irish Pub followed the application of San Mateo developer Dan Deibel to build a project that would fill virtually all of the 700 block of University Avenue. 

Preservationist Gale Garcia filed two applications, and other preservationists have charged that the site might cover human remains and archaeological artifacts from the Berkeley Shellmound. 

Deibel agreed to additional core tests to search for remains following criticisms raised at the commission’s December meeting. 

Members of the Nexus Collective and Gallery feared possible eviction if the Humane Society had decided to demolished the building the artists lease from them, but the society challenged the application written by John English and said they plan to come up with their one of their own, while vowing their intent to preserve the 1920s structure. 

The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 

—Richard Brenneman