Citizens Emergency Committee To Preserve Preservation

Merci, Citoyens!

2009-07-01T20:44:00.004-05:00

After the tremendous success of Tuesday's Francophile fundraiser for the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP), we might be tempted to change at least one of the “C’s” in our long, mission-descriptive name to “Champagne” and one of the “P’s” to “Piaf!”

Thanks to all you friends and fellow citizens who joined in the fun, helping to raise close to $4,000, a king’s ransom considering that CECPP’s landmarks reform efforts—and results—are fueled almost entirely by volunteer zeal (with the worthy exception of our part-time campaign manager, Mark Caserta). Generous contributions covered all of Tuesday night’s food, drink, prizes (see below for a list of the lucky winners) and even the Piaf-style chanteuse(watch the video, above, for a sample of her performance). This means that the funds YOU raised will go directly towards our ongoing initiatives and continued success.

And let’s give a virtual round of applause for the terrific volunteers who help with every aspect of CECPP’s work, from research to errand-running to bar tending! If you’d like to find out about volunteering for CECPP, please email citizens@savelpc.org.

Finally, a very special thank you goes to the evening’s host, Olga Statz, a leader of Save St. Vincent de Paul Church. Don’t miss Olga’s moving online article about this deeply historical and culturally important site on West 23rd Street, a building that has been denied a public hearing by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) chair and staff, without input from the other 10 commissioners.

As long as crucial flaws in the policy and procedures of the LPC continue to lead to the destruction of special places like St. Vincent de Paul—and too many other places in all five boroughs—the landmarks emergency is still on. And CECPP will keep fighting. Thanks again for your support.

Marchons!

Photos of the evening's festivities are available here.

If you weren’t able to join us last night, you can still contribute to the cause by mailing a check made payable to “CECPP” to:

Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation
c/o Neighborhood Preservation Center
232 E. 11th Street
New York, NY 10003

And the prize winners are…

Dinner for Two at Le Perigord – Françoise Bollack

Three Private French Lessons by an experienced language teacher from France – Brenda Butzel

“Paris in New York” with Tour Leader Justin Ferate – Susan Nial

“Eiffel Tower” Designer Plate & Mug w/Printed Paper Napkins Suite – Carol Clark

Designer Museum-Quality Necklace and Earrings Suite, "Sumerian Gold" – Sue Mellins

Designer Museum-Quality Earrings, "Mysteries of Ancient China" – Rena Schilsky

The makings of the night's signature cocktail, St. Germain & Champagne – Rowena Rossini-Gold

Felicitations!

REMINDER: June 30th Fundraiser!

2009-06-22T14:02:00.002-05:00

CECPP Fundraiser

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
6:00 to 8:00 PM
*Murray Hill location provided upon RSVP*
Please call 212-380-8612 or email citizens@savelpc.org.

$35 (for one)
$50 (bring a comrade!)

Hosted by friends of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation

Don't miss~

- A Chanteuse performance by Elaine Rachlin, whose sultry voice evokes the soul of Edith Piaf or Billie Holiday.

- Special prize drawing-

* Dinner for Two at Le Perigord,Estimated Value $70

* Three Private French Lessons by an experienced language teacher from France. Conversation, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing specific to your needs, Estimated Value $200

* “Paris in New York”- Join Tour Leader Justin Ferate and discover some of the Parisian treasures of the Upper West Side, Estimate Value $450

* “Eiffel Tower” Designer Plate & Mug w/Printed Paper Napkins Suite, Estimated Value $30

* Designer Museum-Quality Necklace and Earrings Suite, "Sumerian Gold", 22 karat gold electroplate (surgical steel posts), Estimated Value $100

* Designer Museum-Quality Earrings, "Mysteries of Ancient China", 22 karat gold electroplate (surgical steel posts), Estimated Value $40

* The makings of the night's signature cocktail, St. Germain & Champagne, Estimated Value $100

-St. Germain Cocktails (French elderflower liqueur & sparkling wine – très charmant!)

- Mixing & mingling with fellow activists, including gracious, tenacious host Olga Statz (see “Of a Childhood, a City and a Church’s ‘Douceur de Vivre’”)

Your support contributes directly to CECPP’s Landmarks Defense Fund!

To reserve your ticket (or to make a generous gift in absentia), download the remittance form (click here) and mail it, together with your check (made payable to “CECPP”) to:

Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation
c/o Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 E. 11th Street, New York, NY 10003

CECPP June Fundraiser

2009-06-10T10:58:00.003-05:00

Allons, Citoyens!

Champagne! Charcuterie!
Camaraderie!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
6:00 to 8:00 PM
*Murray Hill location provided upon RSVP*
Please call 212-380-8612 or email citizens@savelpc.org.

$35 (for one)
$50 (bring a comrade!)

Hosted by friends of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation

Featuring…

- An elegant, private penthouse apartment, with magnificent terrace views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, hovering above the Murray Hill Historic District

- Chanteuse performance in the classic style of Edith Piaf

- Special prize drawing (the growing list of prizes includes dinner for two at Le Perigord, "Paris in New York," a walking tour with expert guide Justin Ferate, historically inspired designer jewelry, "Eiffel Tower" plate/mug/napkin suite, French lessons – et plus!)

- St. Germain Cocktails (French elderflower liqueur & sparkling wine – très charmant!)

- Mixing & mingling with fellow activists, including gracious, tenacious host Olga Statz (see “Of a Childhood, a City and a Church’s ‘Douceur de Vivre’”)

You are invited to join the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP) for an early Bastille Day celebration, inspired by the feisty Franco-Americans leading the charge to save the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Chelsea, a center for New York’s French-speaking community and a beacon of racial tolerance and equality for over 160 years. Despite this powerful history, glorious architecture and profound sense of place, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has refused to even hold a public hearing on St. Vincent de Paul. The church faces imminent closure by the Catholic Archdiocese.

Your support contributes directly to CECPP’s Landmarks Defense Fund!

To reserve your ticket (or to make a generous gift in absentia), download the remittance form (click here) and mail it, together with your check (made payable to “CECPP”) to:

Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation
c/o Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 E. 11th Street, New York, NY 10003

Lobby Day!

2009-05-06T15:26:00.005-05:00

A great crowd turned out for Preservation Lobby Day. A big thanks to Council Members Tony Avella, Jessica Lappin and Bill De Blasio for coming out and supporting the effort!

There is still a lot of work to do, though. Please, if you haven't already, sign your organization up in support of the Preservation Platform (details available here). Or, if you have signed up, reach out to your local Council Member and ask them to support it!

Photo via HDC.

Preservation Lobby Day 2009

2009-04-23T20:16:00.005-05:00

The third annual "NYC Preservation Lobby Day" will be held Wednesday, May 6 at 11:45 a.m. at City Hall.

We are inviting a coalition of preservation and community groups to support increased funding for the LPC and to promote the following themes:

*Preservation is Sustainability- Reuse and rehabilitation of older buildings should be incorporated into the City's planning process.

*Preservation is Neighborhoods- Protecting neighborhood character is a cornerstone of the City's long-term viability.

*Preservation is an Economic Catalyst- Preservation raises property values, strengthens the city's tax base and enhances tourism. The City should support efforts to expand Federal and State historic preservation tax credits and enhance the J-51 tax abatement program for landmarked properties.

*Preservation is Historic Religious Properties- A special task force should study feasible ways to support these important structures, which anchor communities and provide needed social service programs.

*Preservation is an effective Landmarks Commission- Proper staffing levels are needed to speed LPC approval of renovations and development, which stimulate economic activity.

The full platform is available here.

If you cannot make it to lobby day, please join the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Historic Districts Council, Landmark West!, Municipal Art Society and the New York Landmarks Conservancy in endorsing the platform. You can email your organization's endorsement to Andrea Goldwyn (New York Landmarks Conservancy) at andreagoldyn@nylandmarks.org.

We hope to see you there!

CECPP on Facebook

2009-03-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

Okay, it's official, CECPP has a group on Facebook, now. Click here to take a look. If you are a Facebook member, join our group!

Preservation Vision's Final Report

2009-03-25T09:38:00.002-05:00

For the past year, an effort called Preservation Vision NYC has been engaging preservationists in a conversation about their aspirations for New York City of 2030 and the actions needed to make those hopes a reality.

In many ways, this effort was a direct response to Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030, which failed to include landmarking or preservation in the future of our city. Without a strong, coherent vision for the future, it was feared, preservationists would not be able to effectively counter or modify PlaNYC 2030 or respond to the development pressures of the future.

The Preservation Vision NYC final report was recently released and, it appears, the participants took a long, hard, critical look at the city's landmarking system and the way that preservationists advocate on behalf of our historic buildings and districts. Some of the findings include:

1. address environmental sustainability
2. undertake serious research
3. expand incentives
4. implement more land use regulations
5. strengthen the Landmarks Law
6. contribute to community livability
7. focus messaging & branding
8. expand alliances & diversity
9. identify new sources of funding
10. enhance education

Interested in the details behind these 10 points? You can read them in the final report, which can be downloaded here.

CECPP on MySpace

2009-03-19T08:06:00.002-05:00

The Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation is preparing for the 2009 local elections (more on that later). As part of our preparations, we have launched a MySpace page. If you have a profile on MySpace, "friend" us at myspace.com/cecpp.

Next on tap: Facebook and Twitter!

Stay tuned!

Even More From the New York Times

2008-12-08T23:33:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, December 6th, the New York Times published an editorial capping Robin Pogrebin's series on the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The piece quoted Judge Marilyn Shafer, in her recent decision in CECPP v Tierney, and called on Mayor Bloomberg to take her conclusions seriously and to think about how to change LPC for the better. If you missed it, it is available in its entirety, below. You can view the editorial on nytimes.com by clicking here.

For more coverage on this critical Times series and for information on CECPP's important role in Robin Pogrebin's research, see previous posts here and here.

Improving the Landmarks Process

Judge Marilyn Shafer of the New York State Supreme Court ruled last month that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission habitually acted in a manner that was “arbitrary and capricious” and ordered the commission to conduct its business in a more timely manner. Her conclusions are welcome and frustratingly familiar to New Yorkers.

The city plans to appeal. Instead, it should reform the commission, which is all that stands between the enormous pressures for development in this city and its priceless architectural heritage.

In a recent series, The Times’s Robin Pogrebin detailed many of the commission’s dysfunctional ways, including inadequate record-keeping, protracted delays and a lack of transparency. The commission’s notable successes — creating historic districts and protecting significant buildings — have been diminished by its notable failures, including its decision to let 2 Columbus Circle be substantially rebuilt without a public hearing.

Part of the trouble is that the commission enjoys little political independence. The chairman serves at the mayor’s pleasure; the 11 unpaid commissioners see only the cases the chairman recommends. These are attributes that a pro-development mayor is not likely to want to change.

We urge Mayor Michael Bloomberg to give preservation more weight in city planning. The next landmarks chairman should come from preservation circles. The commissioners need more independence and authority. There needs to be better communication with the Buildings Department to prevent the confusion that has sometimes resulted in the destruction of a building slated for landmark consideration.

The most valuable change would be to address Judge Shafer’s concerns. Landmark decisions should be made expeditiously and transparently with a clear public record of the commission’s decision-making. The proper balance between healthy development and preservation cannot be found unless the commission plays a more vigorous and public role.

More on the Landmarks Black Hole

2008-12-01T11:49:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it, the Wednesday November 26 2008 front page of the New York Times featured an article titled "An Opaque and Lengthy Road to Landmark Status", beginning an investigative series by Robin Pogrebin. The piece examines the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and uncovers "an overtaxed agency that has taken years to act on some proposed designations, even as soaring development pressures put historic buildings at risk."

The story marks an important turning point for the city’s preservation movement and highlighted CECPP’s recent victory in the case CECPP v. Tierney, in which the New York State Supreme Court ruled that LPC's inaction on Requests for Evaluation was "arbitrary and capricious" and ordered the agency to make timely, public decisions on designation requests. The full decision is available here

The article also featured a great photo of several of CECPP's volunteer Steering Committee Members (above, via nytimes.com)

The article offers proof positive that the NYC Landmarks Law has suffered serious setbacks under the current administration, citing examples of numerous structures that have been lost or irrevocably defaced while languishing unprotected despite, in some cases, years of community cries for designation.

Another important article appeared in the NY Post on Sunday, November 30: "New York on the Block" written by Julia Vitullo-Martin, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Today, December 1, the next article in Robin Pogrebin's series appeared in the NY Times, focusing on the preservation efforts to save religious structures.

CECPP highly recommends that you read these articles if you are at all concerned about the state of New York City's landmarks and the current inner workings of the LPC. To read the first article by Robin Pogrebin, in full, click here.

Stay tuned for CECPP’s suggested strategies and actions to counter the current situation.

The "Black Hole" Landmarks Commission - 500 Ignored Requests

2008-11-10T23:04:00.009-05:00

View Larger Map

As part of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation's work to bring transparency to the Landmark Preservation Commission, we recently issued a Freedom of Information Act request, seeking to determine whether Request for Evaluation (RFE's) were being considered in a fair, timely, open manner.

After reviewing hundreds of RFE files in LPC's possession, we determined that approximately 500 RFE's were either a) received but never acted on or b) reviewed by LPC staff and rejected on grounds that have not been shared with the public. The map, above, graphically depicts the location of each "ignored" RFE that was found in LPC's files. When possible, we have added a photo of the site and any information that was available.

This information became the basis of a recent New York Times editorial, in which LPC was called "a bureaucratic black hole, the place where requests for evaluation — the formal nominations of buildings or districts to be landmarked — go to get filed and forgotten." The full editorial is available here.

If you know of any RFE sites which have not been included in this map, or if you have photos or information that has not been included, please leave a comment, below, or email us at citizens@savelpc.org. You can click on the map above to enlarge it and make it searchable.

So, how did we obtain this information? Read the details below:
-----------------
A Lesson in Civics

This is how CECPP volunteers put together the comprehensive list of over-age RFEs (Request for Evaluation) for proposed landmark sites that have never been reviewed or acted on by the full Landmarks Preservation Commission.

1. CECPP sent a Freedom of Information Act request letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for inspection and copying of all RFEs more than five years old not submitted for full Commission review.

2. After approximately three months we were told by the LPC's legal counsel that the files were ready for inspection at the Municipal Building.

A group of five volunteers went to a conference room at the LPC, where boxes of RFE files were made available. The boxes were assigned to individual volunteers who made handwritten lists of every RFE, noting the address, date of RFE submission, and name of proposer.

3. Where there was information of importance on papers in the file, the volunteers marked them with post-it notes for copying -- these usually included the RFE, detailed letters from the proposer (especially if a public official), and any rejection of the RFE at the staff level.

4. After review was completed, volunteers requested (and paid for) copies of the marked documents. From these we selected the representative group of RFEs for our first mandamus action seeking a court order to compel presentation to the full LPC for decision at a public meeting.

5. After reviewing the initial group of RFE files, a second FOIA request was submitted covering RFEs from two to five years old. The inspection and copying process was repeated.

6. All of this information was then entered on a spreadsheet by two very capable student interns. This resulted in a solid database of all RFEs more than two years old never acted on by the full Commission -- a total of several hundred.

Historic Districts Council Executive Director Simeon Bankoff helped refine the list by identifying some RFE’s that were missing from the LPC files, had been acted on, or had been demolished while in limbo. HDC is working on creating a citywide database of submitted RFE’s.

This volunteer work so far has produced: one lawsuit; one NYTimes editorial; contacts with various public officials who submitted RFEs; preparation of a digital map; initiation of a public education program; and preparation for additional court litigation, if required. Our goal is to make the designation process at the Landmarks Preservation Commission "transparent," and have the Commission and its staff act responsibly and in timely fashion to carry out their responsibilities to the citizens of New York.

More on Term Limits

2008-10-22T21:14:00.000-05:00

On Friday, October 17, the New York Times published an editorial titled The Missing Landmarks Commission, which documented the lack of transparency and openness at LPC.

Much of the piece focused on 2 Columbus Circle, the story of which served as a perfect example of what's wrong with LPC in the 21st Century. According to the Times:

Despite a public debate over the fate of Stone’s building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission never held a public hearing. The commission’s chair — with the encouragement of the Bloomberg administration — had the matter shelved. In June 2005, the city issued a permit to destroy the old facade and rework the building.

The piece went on further to say:

The Landmarks Preservation Commission should be a vital part of the planning process in New York City. Instead, it has become a bureaucratic black hole, the place where requests for evaluation — the formal nominations of buildings or districts to be landmarked — go to get filed and forgotten.

We couldn't agree more. With the future of New York City's term limits law being debated at City Hall, issues like reforming the LPC are getting lost. Whether Mayor Bloomberg is granted an opportunity to win a third term, we must all fight to make sure that the next LPC is an agency we can all be proud of.

To read the full editorial, click here.

Term Limits and NYC Landmarks

2008-10-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

As the Presidential race dominates national and local news, many have missed the movement underway at City Hall to change the city's term limits law, to allow the Mayor and City Council to run for a third term in office, rather than leaving office at the end of 2009. Driven by Mayor Bloomberg's desire to serve for four more years (despite his earlier support for the current law) a new term limit expansion law may pass the City Council within the next few weeks.

The Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation is concerned about the effect that this law change may have on our city's landmarks and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Over the past two years, we have expressed our concerns about the lack of Fairness, Independence and Resources at LPC. A third term by Mayor Bloomberg could spell more of the same.

When we started CECPP, we had expected to ramp up our efforts in 2009, as many Council Members and the Mayor were schedule to leave office and new candidates were to run in their place. We believed that this election would give the landmarks community an opportunity to advocate for reform and to move landmark issues to a higher priority position in the next administration.

Should the term limits laws be changed, however, we are determined to bring our concerns directly to the voters, Mayor Bloomberg, returning City Council Members and new candidates, alike. We would love to hear your comments and thoughts as the landmarks community gears-up for a strong campaign in 2009. You can share your thoughts by clicking on the 'Comment' link, below, or emailing us at citizens@savelpc.org.

We look forward to working with you in the coming months!

LPC- In a hurry?

2008-07-28T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today's New York Post had an interesting feature about the Landmark Preservation Commission's "race against the clock" to approve more than 1,000 historic district/building designations before the end of Mayor Bloomberg's term, 18 months from now.

"The clock is ticking, and we're trying to do as much as possible while we have the momentum and the resources," said Landmarks Preservation Commissioner Robert Tierney.

The article went on to note that LPC was one of the few agencies whose budget was spared during these difficult times.

Well, it's a good thing that we all fought to protect LPC's budget this year. They wouldn't have been able to try to "beat the clock" without us!

You can read the full article here.

Budget Results

2008-07-18T12:38:00.002-05:00

For those of you who have been visiting the site, looking for the results of our efforts to restore funds to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, we apologize for the delay.

Good news: It appears that the employees who were hired with the $300,000 increase from last year are still employed, and will continue to be throughout the year. We want to thank everyone who helped by calling and writing their Council Members and the members of the budget negotiating team. The funding restorations wouldn't have happened without your help.

Have a great summer!

The End Is Near!

2008-06-24T20:53:00.002-05:00

No, we're not talking about the end of the world. It's nearly the end of the City's budget season. There are just a few more days left in the budget negotiations between the City Council and Mayor. As far as we know, the restoration of $300,000 in cuts to LPC's budget is still on the table.

If you haven't already, please take the time to contact members of the City Council's budget negotiation team and let them know how important these funds really are. Your calls and/or emails may make the difference!

New York City Council Budget Negotiating Committee

* Christine Quinn- Speaker
* Robert Jackson- BLA Caucus
* Maria Del Carmen Arroyo- BLA Caucus
* Tony Avella- Italian Caucus
* Mike Nelson- Jewish Caucus
* Diana Reyna- Women’s Caucus
* Helen Foster- Women’s Caucus
* Leroy Comrie- Queens Delegation Chair
* Inez Dickens- Whip
* Joel Rivera- Majority Leader
* Lew Fidler- Deputy Majority Leader
* Erik Dilan- Brooklyn Delegation
* Maria Baez- Bronx Delegation
* Melissa Mark Viverito- Manhattan Delegation
* Dan Garodnick- Manhattan Delegation
* Gale Brewer- Manhattan Delegation
* Bill de Blasio– Brooklyn Delegation
* James Oddo– Minority Leader
* Melinda Katz– Queens Delegation
* Miguel Martinez– Manhattan Delegation
* Larry B. Seabrook– Bronx Delegation
* Helen Sears– Queens Delegation
* Kendall Stewart– Brooklyn Delegation
* David I. Weprin– Chair, Finance Committee
* Vincent Ignizio– S.I. Delegation

Next Step in the Budget Process

2008-06-10T19:32:00.009-05:00

Advocates and Council Members, alike, are working hard to restore funds to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's (LPC) budget. A new budget must be passed by the end of this month, so time is tight. If you support the restoration of the Mayor's proposed $300,000 in cuts to LPC, you can participate by calling and/or emailing the district offices of the members of the City Council's Budget Negotiating Committee.

For your convenience, members of the committee are listed below. Click on their names to view their individual Council Member pages, where you will find their District Office phone numbers and email addresses.

New York City Council Budget Negotiating Committee

* Christine Quinn- Speaker
* Robert Jackson- BLA Caucus
* Maria Del Carmen Arroyo- BLA Caucus
* Tony Avella- Italian Caucus
* Mike Nelson- Jewish Caucus
* Diana Reyna- Women’s Caucus
* Helen Foster- Women’s Caucus
* Leroy Comrie- Queens Delegation Chair
* Inez Dickens- Whip
* Joel Rivera- Majority Leader
* Lew Fidler- Deputy Majority Leader
* Erik Dilan- Brooklyn Delegation
* Maria Baez- Bronx Delegation
* Melissa Mark Viverito- Manhattan Delegation
* Dan Garodnick- Manhattan Delegation
* Gale Brewer- Manhattan Delegation
* Bill de Blasio– Brooklyn Delegation
* James Oddo– Minority Leader
* Melinda Katz– Queens Delegation
* Miguel Martinez– Manhattan Delegation
* Larry B. Seabrook– Bronx Delegation
* Helen Sears– Queens Delegation
* Kendall Stewart– Brooklyn Delegation
* David I. Weprin– Chair, Finance Committee
* Vincent Ignizio– S.I. Delegation

There's Still Work To Do!

2008-05-29T16:43:00.003-05:00

The rally on the steps of City Hall was a huge success, with more than 60 people from dozens of organizations standing on the steps of City Hall in support of restoring the $300,000 in proposed cuts to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's budget. Council Member Jessica Lappin, the sponsor of the rally, was joined by Council Members Tony Avella and Letitia James in calling for this critical funding to be restored. Congratulations to everyone involved and a big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to come out and support the cause.

Despite the big turnout, though, there is still much work to be done! We need to reinforce the message sent at the rally with more letters and emails to the City Council. Please, if you have not done so already, take the time to contact your Council Member and let them know how important this funding really is. A sample letter from CECPP is available here. Council Member addresses and emails are available here.

Photo (above) from Alex Herrera, New York Landmarks Conservancy.

Reminder: Join Us at the LPC Budget Rally!

2008-05-23T13:41:00.007-05:00

Advocates from around the city will gather on the steps of City Hall at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, May 28th, to ask the City Council and Mayor to restore $300,000 in proposed cuts to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's budget. We need your help! Please join us, if you can, and show your support.

To get a better idea of the importance of this effort, watch the video, below, which was created by the Municipal Art Society. We couldn't have said it better, ourselves!

Preserve Your City: Support Funding the LPC from MAS on Vimeo

Budget Rally Update

2008-05-11T19:50:00.002-05:00

The rally in support of restoring cuts to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's budget has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th at 2:00 PM on the steps of City Hall. We hope to see you there!

If you can't make it, we hope that you will help by writing a letter to your Council Member and encourage others to do so, as well. A sample letter is available here.

Announcement: LPC Budget Rally

2008-05-08T17:50:00.002-05:00

There will be a rally in support of restoring the Mayor's proposed cuts to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on May 28th on the steps of City Hall. The start time has not been set (we are still finalizing the details) but will likely be around 11:00. Save the date and please join us!

In the meantime, there is much work to be done. The Mayor has proposed more than $300,000 in cuts to LPC's budget. We need to let the City Council know how important it is that these cuts be restored. Please take the time, over the next week, to write to your Council Member (addresses are available here) and ask them to support a restoration of the Mayor's proposed cuts. This letter should be copied to Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Jessica Lappin (Chair of the council committee which oversees LPC).

A sample draft letter is available here. In writing your letter, consider describing how a stronger, well-funded LPC would help to improve your community. Including local details will help to strengthen our case.

The fight continues! Stay tuned for more details!

Executive Budget Alert

2008-05-01T21:01:00.001-05:00

Mayor Bloomberg released his Executive Budget today (the second round in the city's budget process). Unfortunately, the news for the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) still appears to be bad. LPC will suffer at least $300,000 in cuts (when compared to the budget passed last year), unless we get organized and fight for more funds over the next two months.

Keep an eye on this site and on our emails for future actions that you can take to help the effort!

Preservation Summit Follow-up

2008-04-22T13:52:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, April 17th, preservationists descended on the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in Midtown Manhattan, for an update on the Citizen Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation’s (CECPP's) progress in reforming the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), and to give feedback on current initiatives.

Highlights included:

* A review of LPC's budget, which in 1991 was $3.6 Million. The Mayor has proposed a $4.3 Million budget for LPC for 2009. This is $300,000 less than their current budget and, when adjusted for inflation, represents a $1.5 Million cut to their operating budget (in 1991 dollars). CECPP updated summit attendees on their collaborative work, with other preservation organizations, to increase LPC's budget. Attendees were also given a draft letter to send to Mayor Bloomberg, requesting that the Mayor's proposed cuts be restored. If you would like to send your own letter to the Mayor, a copy of the draft is available here.

* An update on CECPP's new lawsuit to bring transparency to the landmark designation process. More information on this lawsuit to compel LPC action on longstanding Requests for Evaluation on potential landmarks and historic districts is available
here.

* A summary of CECPP's efforts to introduce legislation that will make the landmark designation process more open and fair. You can look at the legislation, which is currently being drafted by the City Council, by clicking on this link (PDF).

Right now, the legislation appears to be stalled in the drafting process at the City Council. Help encourage Council Speaker Quinn to complete the draft and introduce the legislation for public review! Download our draft letter (here) and send it!

* A new initiative for reviewing the qualifications of future landmark commissioners! Former Landmarks Commission chair, Gene Norman, announced that he was spearheading the creation of a formal, independent committee, consisting of former Landmarks Commissioners, to interview and evaluate future Commissioners. The process will be similar to the one used by the New York Bar Association in vetting judges. Details on this exciting program are available here

For photos of the summit, check out our Flickr page. For copies of handouts, click on this link and download any documents that you need.

To support CECPP and our campaign to address the landmarks emergency and preserve the places that matter most to New Yorkers, please click on the "Make a Contribution" link on our web site. We need money, not a lot, but enough to keep us going for as long as it takes to achieve our goal of a functioning, politically independent LPC!

Announcement: Preservation Summit III

2008-03-25T07:39:00.002-05:00

You are invited to join the
Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation for

PRESERVATION SUMMIT III
Thursday, April 17, 2008
General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library
20 West 44th Street, Manhattan
(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

The program will begin promptly at 6:00 PM.
A wine reception and opportunity for discussion will follow.
Invite a friend—or ten!

Summary of Agenda

1)Special presentation by former Landmarks Chair Gene A. Norman on a new, independent process for evaluating candidates for appointment as Landmarks Commissioners
**CECPP’s 2007 lawsuit succeeded in getting commissioners serving on expired terms re-appointed or replaced, underscoring the importance of keeping LPC membership up to date.

2)Update on advocacy to increase the LPC budget
**Last year’s advocacy helped the LPC get resources to increase its designation and regulatory activities to the highest levels since before the Giuliani administration.

3)Report on CECPP’s new lawsuit to compel LPC action on longstanding Requests for Evaluation on potential landmarks and historic districts

This event builds on two previous Preservation Summits, each attended by over 100 New Yorkers concerned about the future of our city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The first Summit, held on May 2, 2006, officially launched the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation to lead a strategic campaign designed to 1) ensure fairness in the LPC’s process, 2) re-establish LPC independence, and 3) secure appropriate resources so that the LPC has the budget and staff it needs to perform its crucial mandate.

Please join us!

RSVP: Send an email to citizens@savelpc.org or call 212-380-8612.

CECPP Sues to Open the City's Landmarking Process

2008-03-18T21:19:00.001-05:00

On March 5th, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (savelpc.org) filed a lawsuit against New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in State Supreme Court.

In the suit, CECPP challenges LPC Chair Robert Tierney's absolute power over the Commission's landmarking process. Currently, Chairman Tierney makes all decisions on whether landmark requests will be brought before the full commission for consideration. CECPP believes that this practice is an "unlawful usurpation of the power of the full Commission, and is authority in excess of his jurisdiction." As stated in the arguments before the court: "If staff members or a subcommittee, or the Chair alone, can reject proposed landmarks with no input from the full commission, who will protect the public interest against political pressures, lobbying, bias or just plain ignorance?" CECPP believes that Chairman Teirney's actions violate city, state and federal law and lead to unnecessary delays in the landmarking process, while excluding the valuable input of the full roster of commissioners, whose knowledge and participation are desirable.

In addition, CECPP is challenging LPC's "standards" by which Landmark applications are judged. Many taxpaying citizens, including knowledgeable preservation experts and professionals, have submitted landmark Requests for Evaluation (RFE) to LPC requesting that specific structures or neighborhoods be considered for either individual landmark status or inclusion within/as historic districts. These applicants have received letters stating that their proposed site or structure did not meet LPC's “criteria”. However, it is not clear who created the criteria since LPC has never published them in any way that is accessible to the public. It is critical that the LPC make public and fully transparent any criteria it considers relevant to judging the merits of RFE's so that preservation professionals and members of the preservation community have full understanding of the process and practices used by LPC.

By bringing this lawsuit, CECPP hopes to bring more transparency and openness to the city's landmarking process, and to make it a fair public process free from political interference and influence, as dictated by the 1966 NYC Landmarks Law. For a full copy of CECPP's petition, click here. To review a copy of CECPP's Memorandum of Law associated with this case, click here.

If you have questions regarding this case, please email them to citizens@savelpc.org or call Mark at (646) 228-6370.

We will update you on the case over the next couple of months.