LPC Supporters Want More Dough from Bloomberg
When Mayor Bloomberg released his Fiscal 2008 budget last month, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received a $100,000 increase over 2007’s number of $4.2 million; in addition, the agency picked up two more staff positions, bringing the number to 57. While this move was in the right direction, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation argues…
When Mayor Bloomberg released his Fiscal 2008 budget last month, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received a $100,000 increase over 2007’s number of $4.2 million; in addition, the agency picked up two more staff positions, bringing the number to 57. While this move was in the right direction, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation argues that it’s not enough. Since 1991, the LPC has lost almost 20 percent of its buying power in real dollar terms and a similar percentage of its staff. Given that the commission is now trying to make up for years of its arguably overly Manhattan-centric focus by addressing critical portions of the outer boroughs, one would think it would need more than a couple more staff members.
Mayor Bloomberg’s Landmarks Budget [Save LPC]
Photo of Brooklyn Fire Department on Jay Street by Frank Lynch
Downtown Guy,
Abolish uninformed comments? I’m afraid that will include you as well.
If you are trying to demonstrate that land values are driven up by landmarking, what exactly are you trying to prove- that constraining supply raises prices? Of course it does, and the scary thing is that you look at that as a good idea.
Perhaps you’re just an unknowing shill for rich people who want to restrict access by raising prices.
You might just want to reconsider your ‘default’ notion that rising values/prices are the signs of a healthy market.
Since this thread is not exactly hopping, let me also remind everyone, that if this city did not offer landmark protection to its architectural gems, it would be a far different place today. You could most certainly kiss Grand Central Station goodbye, perhaps the best example of preservation at work, and it took the likes of people like Jackie Kennedy working tirelessly to save it. I would venture that many of the buildings we now love as NYC landmarks would have been replaced by modern skyscrapers, including most of downtown, including the wonderful Woolworth building, all of SoHo, Tribeca, probably the Flatiron building, the entire theatre district, the fashion district, the Ansonia, and most of the Upper West Side. Manhattan would look like downtown Detroit.
LPC does need some fixing, and could use some new people with different perspectives, as well as more funding for staff, but they have done, and still do tremendous good for the entire city. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
LPC may not be perfect, but I’d rather have them around than not. They may have been late to get around to much of the outer boroughs, but are making up for lost time. Landmarking makes a big difference in residential areas. Just take Bed Stuy as an example. You don’t find Feddersville houses, craptacular apartment buildings and other architectural horrors in Stuy Heights. Why – because the area is protected by landmarking. The rest of Bed Stuy is fair game, one only has to take a drive around to see the difference. Stuy Heights has vacant lots too, but landmarking prevents any old piece of crap from going there. LPC has made a difference, and as imperfect as they may be, they are a very necessary check and balance to keep rabid development at bay, which has little regard for history, beauty and quality of life.
If you want to abolish something, abolish uninformed comments on blog.
A report by the NYC Independent Budget Office demonstrates that landmarked districts appreciate at a 3% greater rate than non-landmarked districts in the same area. Can’t argue with facts!
Take SoHo or TriBeCa. An urban wasteland in 1972. SoHo was landmarked in 1973, TriBeCa in the 90s. Today they command the highest rents in the country. Take any historic district, and you get similar results.
Landmarked districts are among the most desirable districts in the city.
Who cares about the LPC? Not me!!
They prevent businesses, landlords & etc. for flourishing.
DOWN WITH THE LPC!!!!
The preservation movement itself needs to be demolished and completely rebuilt.
The mainline preservationists, who have made it clear they want nothing to do with the outer boroughs, have compounded our problems by being thoroughly inept in the politics of NYC.
Strike the law from the books and let’s start over.
I pay over a 100k in property taxes a year just for one of my 20 unit rental buildings. With all the money the city is collecting in property taxes you’d think they could funnel a bit more back into real estate.
But then again, the streets are still filled with pot holes and the city government is too screwed up to fix them properly too.
Here’s a way to save $4.5 million. Abolish the landmarks commission. They discriminate against areas that are inhabited by people with lower incomes and designate just about everything that people in higher income areas want them to. Since equal protection is not provided under the landmarks law, then it is time to get rid of it. Only when the upper east side is subject to the Fedders invasion that the rest of the boroughs are subject to will there be justice.
They do need more money but why doesn’t the City dissolve LPC instead. They are so useless, more money would not help.