I had been on the calendar to present to the Landmarks Committee on April 18th, but was informed a few days prior to the meeting that because of a scheduling snafu I would be bumped to May 2nd. I was a little miffed that they could make a scheduling error and not realize it for five weeks, but an associate of mine who does a lot of work with Landmarks suggested my hearing was moved for a different reason.
My friend suggested that the real reason I had been rescheduled was because Manhattan projects always take precedence at the LPC, and an important project that hadn't been ready by the scheduling deadline was given my slot when they were able to pull all of their pieces together a few days before the meeting. A few days later, I was watching New York One and they had a segment about a contentious development project that was being proposed for the West Village that had just been presented to Landmarks on the 18th. It was implied that the project had been hastily sped through the staff and on to the committee because of its importance. Members of each of the vying factions of boosters and community activists had been given a chance to speak at the hearing, and it had taken up a large part of the day.
I'm sure that this Manhattan place is very important to whomever the people are that live there, but I had the egalitarian notion that there were five boroughs in New York City and they were given equal treatment by the municipality that runs them. I mean, Queens and Staten Island were rural farmland when they were annexed in 1898, but Brooklyn was the third largest city in the U.S. For this, we get second-class treatment by the city? Maybe I should start an exploratory committee to see what sort of support there is for secession. I mean, Quebec has been trying to leave Canada for years, and both Brooklyn and Quebec have something in common - we speak a different language than the rest of the place we have been uncomfortably unified with.
I mentioned what I had seen to my associate, and was told, "Atleast you don't live in Staten Island. They only have one Landmarked district, and their projects get bumped from the schedule all of the time". One way or the other, I am on the calendar to present to the LPC this Tuesday. With my luck, a new project from Staten Island will get its paperwork completed at the last minute, and I'll have the privalege of getting bumped again.
The above image is what I hope will be the final front elevation fthat I will be presenting on Tuesday. The original nine-light windows have been returned to the top floor, and the origianl wrought iron fence has been returned - although this time it will be a bit taller and will have a gate for the driveway.
|
