LPC Revisiting Expansion of Stuy Heights
It’s time for the residents of Stuyvesant Heights and neighboring communities to step up to the plate. Back in 1993, when the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered expanding the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, there was not enough enthusiasm and support at the local level. Now the LPC is revisiting the issue and is holding an important…
It’s time for the residents of Stuyvesant Heights and neighboring communities to step up to the plate. Back in 1993, when the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered expanding the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, there was not enough enthusiasm and support at the local level. Now the LPC is revisiting the issue and is holding an important public meeting and Q&A session along with the Historic District Council, Landmarks Conservancy and the Preservation League at 6:30 pm tonight at the Bethany Baptist Church at 460 Marcus Garvey Boulevard. A New York Times article from 1993 claimed that the expansion would quadruple the number of protected buildings in the historic district from 300 to 1,200, though an email we received from an involved resident put the number closer to 820. Click on the map above to see an expanded version. And please vote for or against the district expansion here.
Any report on the meeting?
Ibis the power that be will be there to make things clear. I think most comiing out tonight have met with there block capatians and have a understanding of what is taking place. The question of what happens next is that Stuyvesant Heights has to tell LPC to move forward. It has been too long. CB3 has a landmarks committee that meets every month. This is not the only area in Bedford Stuyvesant we are trying to landmark. Bedford Corners and the other parts of Stuyvesant Heights are coming in the pipeline.
They held a similar session a few months ago at the school on Macdonough and Lewis. It was a good opportunity for homeowners to learn what it means to be in a landmarked district. But they did not explain well the landmarking process. I (and other people I know) left confused about what we needed to do to move forward. I understand that these blocks are already calendared, so much of the work has already been done, but now what? What is the next step? I guess it is to show the LPC that a majority of homeowners supports landmarking, but how is that done and who is leading this effort? And what if there is strong support on some blocks but not on others? In that case, is it all or noting, or could a portion of the proposed district be landmarked? Hopefully this will become more clear tonight.
No voting, Dave, more like a presentation of facts, especially to dispel the fallacies like you have to change all of your windows when you are landmarked, or that the city is going to tell you what to do with your house. Or my favorite, which is bandied about quite often, that this is a ploy for the city to TAKE your house. None of that is true, of course. As Babs, Susan and Amzi have said, whatever is there is grandfathered in. Then they open the field up for questions, which hopefully will be done in an ordered fashion.
Susan, I would love to meet you. Maybe we can all stand up and wave like idiots exactly at 7 pm. 🙂
did Benson extend his support and congratulations yet?
BedStuy Bully every thing gets grandfathered in…
Babs is correct. It’s good for everyone to know that any exterior restoration expenditures post-landmarking will be eligible for low-interest loans, grants, and tax credits.
It’s my understanding that everything currently existing is grandfathered in as of the date of landmarking – including out-of-context stuff. Once that happens anything new (even restoration to original in-context state) will require landmarks approval.
I wish that the meeting were scheduled on the weekend when some of us who work in Manhattan could make it. For those of you who are going, know that you have the support of some of us who are not in attendance.
One question: will they take the houses “as-is”? The facades and doors of some houses have been changed over the years. I know that the designation will stop new out-of-context construction, but will it have any effect on current out-of-context buildings?