We Hear...

Our call for restoring the independence of Landmarks Preservation Commissioners doesn't come a moment too soon. Our sources report that the Mayor has already called City Council Members expressing his personal support for the misguided plans to disfigure the facade of the landmark New York Historical Society building and to mar the skyline of Central Park West with a proposed new tower on that landmark site.

It is even more disturbing to note that it now appears to be the practice of this administration to ask potential candidates for the Commission whether the Mayor can count on their vote. That doesn't seem to us to be the type of question that should be asked. We are polishing up a list of more appropriate questions that we will be urging the administration and the city council to use when exploring the suitability of candidates for service on the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Stay tuned to this site for an unveiling of those questions early in the New Year.