Berkeley City Council holds special meeting on 2 land use appeals Brianna Luna/Senior Staff Berkeley residents appealed to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's denial of the William H. and Esther L. Payson House as a city recognized landmark, pleading with the Berkeley City Council by citing the house’s historic value and William Payson’s role in the city’s First Unitarian Church. In opposition to the appeal, historic architect Mark Hulbert disputed the claim that the Payson House was the oldest building in the area, adding that there are “a number of older houses.”