LPC Makes It Official at Alice & Agate Courts
Yesterday LPC head Robert Tierney, Council Member Al Vann and about two dozen people celebrated the designation of the Alice and Agate Courts Historic Districts with a ceremony to unveil two new street signs and an announcement that five residents had won LPC grants totaling $84,000 to help restore their historic, 19th century homes. The…
Yesterday LPC head Robert Tierney, Council Member Al Vann and about two dozen people celebrated the designation of the Alice and Agate Courts Historic Districts with a ceremony to unveil two new street signs and an announcement that five residents had won LPC grants totaling $84,000 to help restore their historic, 19th century homes. The grants, which come from the Commission’s Historic Preservation Grant Program and range from $12,000 to $20,000 apiece, are going to be used to repaint, repoint and repair the facades of five homes on both of those streets. Alice and Agate Courts are the 21st historic district designated under Tierney, 12 of which have been outside of Manhattan. Guess how many have been in Brooklyn? Seven. Top notch!
LPC Moves Ahead With Two New Historic Districts [Brownstoner]
Alice & Agate Courts Proposed for LPC Designation [Brownstoner]
LPC to Consider Ocean Avenue Historic District [Brownstoner]
New Bed-Stuy Historic District in the Offing [Brownstoner]
Many years ago when LPC started seriously trying to landmark neighborhoods, one of the stumbling blocks was the fact that homeowners were pursuing low-cost solutions to upkeep and maintenance on their homes rather than those solutions that were in keeping with what landmarks wanted to see. Examples were painting brownstone to prevent decay, replacing wood framed windows with storm windows, adding modern exterior lighting fixtures rather than period appropriate fixtures, putting gates on previously ungated yards, etc. Community activists claimed (rightly) that lower and middle class homeowners should not be sentenced to living in drafty, falling down homes simply because they had purchased a home in a community that was subsequently landmarked and they could not afford expensive restoration or repairs.
As a remedy, money was set aside to assist homeowners in landmark districts with repair costs. The reasoning was that people would be more likely to accept landmark-type renovations if they could be made affordable.
This type of program was intended to allow architectural preservation to continue in ALL parts of the city. Contrasting this with the 2nd Ave subway (a subway line which will run only through Manhattan, does not connect with any transportation hubs and which has been in the works for over 20 years) is folly. This $84,000 is less than 1/10th of the total compensation package for the new head of the MTA.
I’d like to see more money spent on infrastructure. In my world we’d have new water tunnels in Brooklyn, light rail in South Brooklyn, a tunnel from NJ to Brooklyn, a new bridge from LI to CT and a freight rail system east of the Hudson. But in order for that to happen we’d have to give up something. I don’t want the city to stop funding public education, close more hospitals, shut down libraries, stop providing public housing or decide that the answer is less police or fire protection. So my question Rob and Benson is assuming we stop funding all landmarks grants (which I’m sure total less than a couple million a year), what would you be willing to give up to get your subway and other infrastructure?
Benson, the tax photos taken of every property, public and private, came out of WPA money. Preserving a facade in a neighborhood is as much a public benefit as a private one. The disintegration of a neighborhood affects everyone, especially in the pocketbook.
And if there are no grand public works projects, so what? And who is to say there aren’t? The stimulus package is what 6 – 8 months old? Is the administration supposed to wave its wand and fix everything that has been broken for decades in 6 months? So much is wrong with the infrastructure of this country that we don’t need another Hoover Dam, we need the current dam fixed. We need the levees in New Orleans rebuilt correctly and soon. We need our bridges and crumbling highways repaired. Those things may not be as thrilling as a Hoover Dam, but are just as necessary. I’d be just as happy telling my nephew’s kids that the roads and bridges they are riding on are there because 2009 stimulus money was spent on it, than pointing to some grass strewn macadam, ala NY in Legend, telling them that used to be one of our highways, but they didn’t spend the money to fix it.
Furthermore, you still miss the main point: where are the great public works? A couple of weeks ago Brownstoner ran a story that some of the stimulus money will be spent on new “historically correct” lamp-posts in Brooklyn Heights. Alot of money is being frittered away on this type of stuff.
Would you please identify one great public works project that is coming out of the current stimulus plan? When all is said and done, what will I be able to point out to my grand-kids and say: “See that: that is what I put you in $700B worth of debt for?”.
Posted by: benson at September 18, 2009 3:11 PM
You are right, benson, but that is not the issue being addressed by this thread. It’s relevant for a larger discussion by Rush or Hannity but I think we’ve gotten off track here.
bxgirl, you thrown around racism WAY too much. it’s actually insulting. i have not said a single racist thing. grrr
*rob*
I disagree;
The money given to the artists and photographers during the Depression was for work on public property. Here we are talking about private property.
Furthermore, you still miss the main point: where are the great public works? A couple of weeks ago Brownstoner ran a story that some of the stimulus money will be spent on new “historically correct” lamp-posts in Brooklyn Heights. Alot of money is being frittered away on this type of stuff.
Would you please identify one great public works project that is coming out of the current stimulus plan? When all is said and done, what will I be able to point out to my grand-kids and say: “See that: that is what I put you in $700B worth of debt for?”.
Well said, I disagree. Dave, too.
*and youre probably one of five people who actually DO pay taxes in bed stuy. maybe that wasn’t so nice to say, but it’s sorta / kinda true.
*rob*
Not nice? No- it was actually just another indication of how ignorant, racist and idiotic you are. But what to expect from a loser who gets falling down drunk every opportunity and has to be carried out of the street. Don’t ever move to a Black neighborhood, rob- they so do not deserve the likes of you.
my comparison was to show how ludicrous benson’s wpa comparison was in terms of scope and money. I had forgotten about how the WPA also put artists, photographers, etc. to work. Every school I ever attended growing up in the Bronx has a WPA mural. I loved them and they influenced my own work.
Sad that so many people don’t see the connection between the arts and architecture, or redoing the facades on landmark houses with quality of life,and our basic humanity.
quote:
I say spend the money on these grants and I pay more taxes here than a lot of people.
and youre probably one of five people who actually DO pay taxes in bed stuy. maybe that wasn’t so nice to say, but it’s sorta / kinda true.
*rob*