PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
July 5, 2006
*CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR
LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION!
Increased Funding for the Landmarks Preservation Commission Approved!: Last month, GVSHP and preservation groups across the City asked their members to write to the City Council urging support for a proposed $500,000 increase in funding for the Landmarks Preservation Commission. GVSHP enthusiastically supported the plan, introduced by City Councilmembers Tony Avella, Jessica Lappin, and Diana Reyna, as we know how much of a difference increased funding could make to the LPC’s ability to protect our city’s neighborhoods and landmarks, and we urged our three Greenwich Village City Councilmembers to support the plan. Countless numbers of you wrote your City Councilmembers in support, letting them know how critical this proposal was.
The City budget approved last week did end up including a $250,000 increase in funding for the LPC. While perhaps not as great as we had hoped, this was still a welcome, tremendous step forward for an agency which has had its staffing levels cut demonstrably over the last 15 years, even as its workload has increased markedly. Special thanks go to City Councilmembers Tony Avella, Jessica Lappin, and Diana Reyna for introducing the proposal, as well as to Speaker Quinn, Village Councilmembers Gerson and Mendez, and all other Councilmembers who supported the increased funding.
HOW TO HELP:
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
June 21, 2006
*GVSHP SUPPORTS CITY COUNCIL PLAN TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION
GVSHP Supports Plan by City Councilmembers to Increase Funding for the Landmarks Preservation Commission: Few things affect our collective ability to preserve the character of our neighborhoods as much as the funding (or lack thereof) for the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The LPC is charged with enforcing landmarks regulations, reviewing proposals for changes to landmark districts, and considering designation of new landmarks and historic districts. Unfortunately, the Commission has had its funding slashed considerably over the past 15 years, even as its workload has grown significantly. As a result, the Commission has many fewer people on staff to do much more work than it did 15 years ago; the Commission no longer has a ‘survey’ department to look for new areas worthy of landmark designation, and designations often take a very long time and are dependent upon communities providing a considerable amount of research and data which the Commission previously provided. Additionally, while strides have been made in recent years, the time it takes the LPC to serve landmarks violations or to process applications by property owners to make repairs or renovations to their property is still often much longer than it should be.
Between now and the end of June, the Mayor and the City Council will be negotiating a new City budget for the coming year. City Councilmembers Tony Avella, Jessica Lappin, and Diana Reyna have put forward a proposal to increase the LPC’s budget by $500,000 – a drop in the bucket of the City’s multi-billion dollar budget, but one which would nevertheless make a tremendous difference to the LPC. GVSHP has written to our three City Councilmembers in the Village, all of whom have strong records supporting the work of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, urging them to support this proposed increase in funding.
HOW TO HELP:
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.