Jane Jacobs on Exhibit

As we are sure you are all aware, the Municipal Art Society and the Rockefeller Foundation are presenting Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York, an exhibit which "aims to encourage New Yorkers to observe the city closely and to empower them, with a combination of tools and resources, to take an active role in advocating for a more livable city."

Although most of us haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, there is much to like about an active, living exhibit on Jacobs' work which could help to educate and inspire future activists. The members of the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP) have all been inspired by Jacobs' courage and desire to fight for what was right. Strangely enough, even our long organization name was inspired by Jacobs. During our early formation, we received a piece of advice from Norman Redlich, a villager involved in the effort to remove traffic from Washington Square. He recounted: "Among Jane Jacob's many brilliant organizing techniques, one of them was always put what you're trying to achieve in the name of the committee, because most people will read no further than that. So it was called the Joint Emergency Committee to Close Washington Square Park to Traffic." That episode from the 1960's was in our minds as we named the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation.

Of course, we have chosen to name our website savelpc.org, to avoid a lengthy, confusing URL. Can you imagine Jacobs setting up a website called "www.jointemergencycommitteetoclosewashingtonsquareparktotraffic.org"?

Wow!

Details on the exhibit are available here .

So, What Have We Accomplished?

For just over a year, the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation (CECPP) has worked to bring reform to the city’s landmarking process and our efforts are showing positive signs of making a difference. The downward spiral seems to have slowed. Perhaps the most visible sign is the Commission’s significantly increased designation activity, enabling formal discussion at public hearings of such places as Sunnyside Gardens in Queens that preservationists have long known were worthy of landmark status but, without action by the Commission, seemed surely headed for destruction.

So what have we been up to? What have accomplished thus far?

CECPP Goal #1: Support the LPC with adequate staff and funding to meet the mandates spelled out in the Landmarks Law. In May 2007, CECPP was part of a core group of key preservationists from all five boroughs that coordinated the first-ever, widely attended Preservation Lobby day at City Hall, focusing on increasing the Landmarks Commission’s budget by $1 million. CECPP consultant, Mark Caserta, compiled meticulous research on LPC budget trends since the early 1990s, showing that at least $1 million was needed to help the LPC recoup the buying power that it had lost during the past two mayoral administrations. The City Council was ready to give the Commission an extra $500,000, until, incredible as it seems, Chair Robert B. Tierney gave a last-minute call to Council Member Jessica Lappin (Chair of the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks) saying all the Agency could use was $300,000! Clearly, the audience for next year’s budget appeal is Mayor Bloomberg, who calls the shots when it comes to letting the Commission have the budget it needs to do its job.

CECPP Goal #2: Amend LPC procedures to improve transparency and responsiveness to the public. Despite more hearings leading to more designations in the past year, the Landmarks Commission continues to sit on many Requests for Evaluation (RFE) that it receives, refusing to give members of the public—or the 11 members of the full Commission—the opportunity to formally discuss the buildings’ merits for landmark protection. CECPP filed Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests in order to get to the bottom of the “black hole” that some RFE’s seem to fall into. We found there are over 500 RFEs that have never been presented to the full Commission! We are now exploring legislative and legal remedies to this persistent problem.

CECPP Goal #3: Ensure qualifications of Landmarks commissioners to carry out the LPC mission. In response to litigation filed by CECPP, Mayor Bloomberg finally acted to re-appoint or replace 7 out of the 8 Landmarks Commissioners whose terms had long expired, thus restoring their independence. We are also pleased to report that the Fine Arts Federation is jumpstarting its Charter-provided process for formally recommending candidates to the Mayor to serve on the Commission. CECPP is now at work exploring the creation of a new mechanism to independently evaluate the candidates the Mayor ultimately recommends to the City Council for appointment to the Commission.

Despite the progress, the emergency isn’t over. Now is the time to press harder than ever before. We know you are already supporting other preservation groups doing good work. The effectiveness of those contributions will be dramatically enhanced if CECPP is successful in advancing much-needed reforms. Our needs are modest but very real. We’re not tax exempt. We talk truth to power. We look to the day that we can fold up our tent because the mandates of the Landmarks Law are being fully advanced by the Landmarks Commission.

If you can help us with a contribution, please send it to CECPP, Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003. You can also donate online by clicking on the "Make a Contribution" button on this page.

Thanks! We look forward to working with you in this important fight!

The Fine Arts Federation Steps In

If you missed this story during the blissful months of summer, the Fine Arts Federation of New York (FAFNY) recently announced their plans to launch a Landmarks Preservation Commission Nominating Committee. The committee will operate in a similar way to their nominations committee for the Art Commission of the City of New York; acting as a clearing house for LPC Commissioner nominations that are put forward by FAFNY member organizations or interested preservationists.

This is great news on two accounts:

1) Chapter 74, Section 3020 2b of the New York City Charter says that the Mayor "may consult with the Fine Arts Federation..." when considering names for LPC Commissioner nominations. Of course, the Mayor doesn't have to take their recommendations, but this new committee will be an effective tool for getting quality candidates in for consideration, early in the process.

2) As you may know, CECPP has taken an interest in LPC Commissioner Qualification and Commission Independence. We believe that FAFNY's committee can play an important role in restoring independence to the LPC

So, put those thinking caps on and start putting that list of potential commissioner names together and send them to the Fine Arts Federation at reginas@tiac.net.