City Council Bill Would Hamstring Landmarking Efforts
Intro. 775, introduced by City Council Landmarks Chair Peter Koo and Land Use Chair David Greenfield, purports to help streamline the landmarking process. But the bill would actually require that the Commission act within a certain limited period of time or the site, building, or neighborhood under consideration is automatically not landmarked and cannot be considered for landmark designation for five years thereafter." Read more about the bill here and its potential impact here, and read the bill here.
|
Thus as currently written, Intro. 775’s true impact would be to encourage stalling and delays by developers, create a “pocket veto” for landmark designations, place a chilling effect on consideration of new landmark designations that might seem too complicated or controversial to meet the proscribed deadlines, and tie the hands of Landmarks Preservation Commission in cases where legitimate delays or strong resistance to designations prevents the agency from acting within the required limited time frame. Sites, buildings, and neighborhoods under consideration for landmark designation throughout the City would be blocked from being considered for landmark designation if the Commission is not able to act swiftly enough, though the bill provides no additional resources or assistance to ensure that designations can meet the “do or die” deadlines it imposes.
HOW TO HELP:
Next: 07/07/15
|