News from the New York Landmarks Conservancy: LPC 'De-calendaring' Proposal Puts Many Buildings at Risk
The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s (LPC) proposal for the wholesale elimination of buildings and districts from a list where they have been calendared for more than five years is a troubling step that disregards the Commission’s own responsibility and mission.
Prior Landmarks Commissions considered these buildings and districts important or they wouldn’t have calendared them in the first place. Calendaring is the first step in the designation process. It offers some protection for buildings because the Department of Buildings must notify LPC if a building permit is requested for a calendared property. The Commission then has 40 days to decide if they are going to designate it.
In today’s “New York Times,” the LPC Chair is quoted as saying that removing these calendared buildings would “unburden” the agency so it could deal with more pressing matters. The Commission’s job is designating landmarks-- giving buildings placed in consideration a fair review.
Prior Commissioners have reduced this list, a few buildings at a time, with public explanations of why they were being designated or removed. If the current Commission feels burdened, they could have reached out asking advocates to help determine buildings ready for designation and those that could be removed. Instead, word of this proposed action drizzled out. The Commission put the disposal list on their website the evening before Thanksgiving-- for action on December 9.
At the December 9 meeting there will be no public testimony.
The Conservancy, and most advocates, agree that, going forward, there should be a reasonable time limit for the Commission to decide whether to landmark a property. But this proposal, by not revisiting individual items, will put some of these buildings at risk. Saying that advocates can ask for buildings to be re-calendared is no guarantee that the requests would be answered in a timely manner, or approved.
We agree it will take time to address the backlog. But we believe it would be worth it. Nothing is more central to the Commission’s functions than reviewing and acting on these important sites.
The Conservancy has urged the Commission to rethink this proposed de-listing. There is still time for it to do so. If the Commission proceeds as planned, the Conservancy will immediately submit a list for re-calendaring.
TAKE ACTION
If you agree, contact the LPC and ask them to reconsider their 'de-calendaring' proposal.
