Mayor de Blasio’s Land Use Appointments Carousel Continues

Mayor de Blasio has re-structured the City’s land use administrative hierarchy to further his affordable housing agenda. On July 22, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio nominated Margery Perlmutter to serve as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals. This was the Mayor’s latest appointment  to City land-use positions, all of which will bear heavily on the Mayor’s expansive affordable housing agenda, a ten-year plan designed to preserve some 200,000 units of affordable housing.


Two new members appointed to commission

Michael Goldblum and Michael Devonshire replaced Stephen Byrns and Roberta Brandes Gratz. Architect Michael Goldblum and architectural conservator Michael Devonshire have replaced Commissioners Stephen Byrns and Roberta Brandes Gratz on the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Byrns joined Landmarks in 2004 and is a founding partner of BKSK Architects LLP. Gratz joined Landmarks in 2003 and will continue to serve the City as a member of the Sustainable Advisory Board for PlaNYC.

The City Council … <Read More>


New Landmarks commissioner confirmed

Preservationist to replace Thomas Pike. On March 28, 2007, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Diana Chapin to Landmarks. The Council also voted to approve the reappointments of Commissioners Pablo Vengoechea, Stephen Byrns, Joan Gerner, and Christopher Moore.

Diana Chapin, a member of the Municipal Art Society and the Landmarks Conservancy, is Executive Director of the Queens Library Foundation. She was a founding member of the Historic House Trust, a not-for-profit … <Read More>


DOT Celebrates Livingston Street Redesign for Improved Service

On January 10, 2024, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the completion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Livingston Street redesign. The redesign has created close to a mile of new bus lanes and intersection redesign between Boerum Place to Flatbush Avenue. The purpose of this project is to encourage faster and more reliable bus service for those in the area while cracking down on illegal and unsafe parking. Bus routes on … <Read More>


Mayor Reappoints Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll and Nominates Anthony Crowell and Gail Benjamin to City Planning

Sarah Carroll will serve an additional seven years at Landmarks, while Gail Benjamin and NYLS Dean Anthony Crowell will join City Planning for five years. On August 5, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams nominated Sarah Carroll to continue as Chair of Landmarks Preservation Commission and nominated Gail Benjamin and Anthony Crowell to the City Planning Commission. Landmarks commissioners serve seven-year terms, while City Planning commissioners serve for five years.


NYC Rolls Out COVID-19 Vaccine Response for Children Under Five

On June 17, 2022, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan announced a roll out for COVID-19 vaccines for babies and children, aged six-months to five years. Health Commissioner Dr. Vasan stated, “As the city’s doctor, and as a father of a three-year-old, I have confidence in this vaccine, and I can’t wait to get my child vaccinated. I encourage parents to call their child’s … <Read More>