Landmarks Preservation Commission. Credit: LPC.

Items originally proposed for designation in recent years often faced significant opposition. The Landmarks Preservation Commission will begin the process of addressing the 95 items calendared for potential designation before 2010, but that have never been brought before the Commission for a final vote. Landmarks will hold public hearings on groupings of the items at special Thursday meetings on October 8, October 22, November 5, and November 12 of 2015. The groups, which will consist of up to 12 items each, will be clustered by borough and community board. An initial plan to eliminate the backlog by de-calendaring the items without holding public hearings was withdrawn after the idea drew heavy opposition from preservationists and elected officials. The existence of the backlog has drawn attention to Landmarks’ procedures, and is part of the impetus for potential legislation that would impose ULURP-like timelines on Landmarks’ designation process. (more…)

Councilmember David Greenfield, chair of the Committee on Land Use, co-sponsored one of the Landmarks Law bills . Image credit: William Alatriste/New York City Council

Landmarks Chair testified that changes could be better promulgated through agency rule-making rather than by legislative fiat. On September 9, 2015 the City Council held a hearing on two potential bills that would alter the Landmarks Law section of the Administrative Code. The hearing drew a crowd that filled the main Council chamber, with over 100 people filling out forms to testify on the proposals. (more…)

Councilmember Peter Koo. Image credit: William Alatriste / New York City Council

Proposed law sets requirements for holding hearings and decisions or risk automatic decalendaring.  On April 28, 2015 a bill was introduced for consideration at the City Council’s stated meeting to create time limits on the City landmarking process.  The bill, Intro 775, was introduced by Councilmembers Peter Koo and David Greenfield.

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HDC’s Annual List for 2015

Among its stated priorities, preservationist organization hopes to spur designation of items on Landmarks’ calendar that have been long under consideration without being brought to a vote. On February 3 2015, the Historic District Council held an event where it released its annual “Six to Celebrate,” identifying preservation priorities for the coming year. Candidates for the list are submitted by community organizations, and evaluated by HDC for historic and architectural merit, as well as the threat level to the neighborhoods from development. (more…)

Landmarks had originally scheduled removal of 94 potential individual landmarks and two historic districts from its calendar for December 9th. On December 5, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission rescinded plans to remove 96 items from its calendar without bringing the items to a vote of designation. The items planned to be removed included 94 items calendared as potential individual City landmarks, and two potential historic districts. The action, called a decalendaring, was scheduled to take place at its public meeting on December 9, 2015. (more…)