The Land Use and Transportation Committee will hear Monday/3 an obscure piece of legislation that could undermine the city’s limits on chain stores in neighborhood commercial areas.

The measure, sponsored by Mayor Daniel Lurie, sounds innocent enough. It’s called “Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings.” From the summary:

“Ordinance amending the Planning Code to allow additional uses as principally or conditionally permitted in Historic Buildings citywide.”

When you read the actual language, it would allow anyone who owns an historic building, as defined by the Planning Code, to rent space to any type of business, including businesses that are not allowed or require special permission in neighborhood commercial strips.

Former Sup. Aaron Peskin, who has reviewed the legislation, said that

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