DISTRICT OFFICE CHAIR 563 COLUMBUS AVENUE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN NEW YORK, NY 10024 (212) 873-0282 COMMITTEES
CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS CITY HALL OFFICE CONTRACTS 250 BROADWAY, SUITE 1765 THE COUNCIL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEW YORK, NY 10007 OF (212) 788-6975 THE CITY OF NEW YORK FINANCE HOUSING AND BUILDINGS [email protected] HELEN ROSENTHAL www.council.nyc.gov COUNCIL MEMBER 6T H DISTRICT, M ANHATTAN
May 7, 2018
Hon. Meenakshi Srinivasan Chair New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission One Centre Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10007
Re: Proposed LPC Rules Amendments 2018
Dear Chair Srinivasan and Commissioners:
I write to express my hope that the Landmarks Preservation Commission will work with the community to ensure that its 2018 Rules Amendments strike the proper balance and preserve community input in the LPC process.
On April 19, Community Board 7 of Manhattan submitted a letter enumerating its specific concerns with the proposal amendments. The concerns the Community Board raised are measured and informed, and I urge you to give each of them careful consideration.
Specifically, I wish to amplify the Community Board’s concern about the proposed removal of full-width rear yard additions from the public review process. This type of proposal has come up time and time again on the Upper West Side. These encroachments into the open space of a block’s “donut” can have a detrimental effect on the light and air of an entire block. Given its substantial impact on the surrounding community, this is exactly the sort of project that demands a public review process.
As a Council Member whose district is fortunate to include nine Historic Districts and Extensions, I appreciate that the Commission has undertaken to reform its process. It is a difficult balance that LPC must strike to preserve neighborhood character while ensuring that the bureaucracy involved does not unduly burden property owners. It is my view that the Rules Amendments as proposed do not yet strike that balance appropriately. I encourage the Commission to incorporate community input before moving forward.
Sincerely,
Helen Rosenthal