Commissioner Independence

By now, you probably read Tom Wolfe's Op-Ed in the Sunday New York Times, tracing the rise and fall of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. One of the key themes in Wolfe's piece is the Commission's Lack of Independence , which is made worse by the fact that Mayor has failed to reappoint or replace 9 of the 11 Commissioners whose terms have lapsed. Why is this so important? By failing to reappoint or replace commissioners, the Mayor enjoys additional influence over their decisions and can immediately remove Commissioners who fail to vote his way. As Wolfe pointed out, this is not a recent phenomenon but rather a practice that dates back through several administrations. Nonetheless, the law requires the Mayor to make these appointments and the failure to do so is grounds for a legal challenge.

In the coming weeks, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation will be filing a legal challenge known as a Mandamus Proceeding, to force the Mayor to make the appointments he is required to make under the law. Already, 16 individuals have joined as petitioners in the lawsuit and the list grows every day. Are you interested in joining our effort? If so, email the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation at citizens@savelpc.org . Join us today!