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Editor's Note: The following letter from Berkeley historian Richard Schwartz has been sent to the Berkeley Landmark Preservation Commission, the Berkeley City Council and LPC secretary Sally Zarnowitz and has been included in the Commission's packet for their meeting tomorrow, Thursday, April 7. The historian writes that Mark Rhoades, expediter for the project sought for the site at 1900 Fourth Street by BHV CenterStreet Properties LLC, falsely claimed that Schwartz had reviewed the information submitted about archeological findings on the site, both at the last LPC meeting and online on the project's promotional web page. The statement challenged as untrue by Schwartz can be found was here at the time of this publication. Schwartz also told the Planet today that he does not agree with statements made by Andy Galvan, the state of California's that there are no Native American remains on the 1900 Fourth site even though human remains were discovered last week across the street at 1911 Fourth.

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On March 14, 2016, I used the email form on the site of 1900Fourth (the development company for the Spenger's Parking Lot Site) and asked them to provide me with the emails of Mr. Griggs, Mr. Blake, and Ms. Colbert so that I could send them important information regarding false statements I heard made by Mark Rhoades at the Landmarks' Commission meeting 3/3/16 about my involvement in their project. I never received a response. It was from visiting their website to email them that I found more false statements- this time in writing on their website- about my involvement in their project.

A few days later I used their website email form again and told them I demanded they remove the statement that "with the methodology, findings, and conclusions reviewed by Berkeley writer and historian Richard Schwartz." from their website within seven days as I was Richard Schwartz and I never reviewed their methodology,findings or conclusions to them and their statement was not factual.

I never received a response and it has been weeks since I made my demand. So I need to make Berkeley government aware that those statements made on their website about my making a review are false and that they did not respond to my two emails. 

Mr. Mark Rhoades also made the false comments that I had reviewed Archeo-Tech's work on the site which I did not. I did not comment on his statement at the hearing but then attempted to contact his company which did not respond. It was at that time I found out the statement on their website. Mr. Rhoades made these false nonfactual statements with no documentation about my involvement in this project at the Landmark Commission meeting of 3/3/16. 

Please know that in no way did I provide 1900Fourth or Archeo-Tech with any review of their work. I was told by Archeo-Tech on 5/30/14 that their report was finished but did not receive a copy of it until 7/22/14, after it had been released. 

Please take note of their false and misleading comments and their lack of response of any kind that I requested. 

Thank you for your attention on this matter. 

Sincerely, 

Richard Schwartz