PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
May 23, 2008
www.gvshp.org
GVSHP and a coalition of over 40 preservation groups will be holding its Second Annual Lobby Day on Wednesday, May 28, to advocate for a RESTORATION of $300,000 into the Landmarks budget. These funds will allow the LPC to maintain its survey staff and effectively protect New York’s valuable historic buildings and neighborhoods. PLEASE JOIN US, AND PLEASE HELP!
Still, despite the amount of much-needed work that these grants have allowed, the Mayor has declined to baseline this amount and it has not been included in the Commission’s FY09 budget.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
ABOUT THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION'S BUDGET:1) The Landmarks Preservation Commission's budget has shrunk by 35% since 1990, in constant dollars.2) The Commission’s share of the city budget has shrunk by 52% since 1990. It now occupies just .007% of the entire city budget.3) The Commission’s staff has decreased by 25% since 1990. Over this same time period, the number of applications to repair or modify landmarks (which the Commission regulates) has more than doubled, to 9,000 per year.4) The Commission has just 52 staff members who watch over more than 23,000 landmarks throughout the five boroughs; only 3 staff members are charged with enforcing the landmarks law.5) Since 1990, the Commission has increased the revenue it generates for the city from just $10,000 per year to more than $1 million per year. It now raises nearly 1/3 of its agency budget, yet the city continues to deny the Commission the funding and staff it needs.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm
PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
June 15, 2007
www.gvshp.orgCity Funding for Landmarks Preservation
Funding for Landmarks Preservation in City Budget: GVSHP and a citywide coalition of groups fought to increase the Landmarks Preservation Commission's (LPC) budget by $1 million this year. While an infinitesimally small percentage of the City's budget in a year of massive surpluses, this increase would have restored the LPC's budget to its 1991 levels and allowed the agency to better address the increasing demands by neighborhoods for consideration of new landmark designations and by owners for permits for necessary work on their landmarked properties. Disappointingly, the Mayor did not include any increase in his budget for the LPC, and eliminated the $250,000 increase advocates had worked with the City Council to add to the LPC's budget last year. This year, City Council Landmarks Subcommittee Chair Jessica Lappin led the charge to seek our proposed $1 million increase, but ultimately the Council only agreed to restore the $250,000 addition from last year, and add an additional $50,000. While an improvement, this shows that many of our leaders in city government still needs to be educated about the importance of historic preservation.
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PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
May 8, 2007
www.gvshp.org
GVSHP URGES THE CITY TO INCREASE THE LPC'S BUDGET BY $1 MILLION
Please join GVSHP on Wednesday, May 9, 2007, at 12:30 pm for a press conference on the steps of City Hall urging the City to increase the Landmarks Preservation Commission's budget by $1 million.
GVSHP has been working with our colleague preservation groups across the city to seek an increase of $1 million in funds for the Landmarks Preservation Commission budget. Shockingly, while the LPC's workload has dramatically increased over the last 15 years, its budget is less than it was 15 years ago in constant dollars. An increase in the LPC’s budget by $1 million is a miniscule amount when considering the City’s overall budget, but one which would make a tremendous difference not only to this agency but to the City as a whole, and would restore the budget to its 1991 levels.
Last year, the City did increase the LPC's budget by $250,000. With this larger budget , the LPC was able to increase its activities in surveying undesignated areas of the city and designating more historic districts and individual landmarks. The extra funding truly made a noticeable difference in the work of the LPC, and GVSHP thanks the Village's council members (Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Council Member Alan Gerson, and Council Member Rosie Mendez) for their support of last year's increase. However, this modest increase of $250,000 is not guaranteed for renewal this year, and an increase of $1 million is needed in order to ensure that the LPC has the funded it requires to fully protect our neighborhoods.Efforts to preserve our neighborhoods cannot be nearly as effective without a well-funded and well-staffed LPC. We need your help to urge the City to secure this additional funding for the LPC.
HOW TO HELP:
- Write a letter to your council member urging him/her to support the increase of $1 million dollars for the LPC's budget. Click HERE to find your council member's name and contact information and for a sample letter you can use to write to them. To see GVSHP's letters to Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Members Alan Gerson and Rosie Mendez, click HERE.
- Join us on Wednesday, May 9, at 12:30 pm on the steps of City Hall for a press conference urging the City to secure this increase.
With your help, we can get more funding for the LPC and provide more effective protection of our historic neighborhoods.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.