Mary Dierickx will discuss *the history of the Carnegie Libraries* --
Thursday, February 10th


        *E-BULLETIN OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL*

January 2005, Volume 2 Number 1

* *

*Preserving Public Places*

HDC’s 11th Annual Preservation Conference will be held on March 4-6 at
the New-York Historical Society and will explore the topic of
stewardship of publicly owned properties. Panelists from New York City
and beyond will discuss how city, state, and federal agencies care for
historic properties and whether they have been adequate guardians of our
built environment. They will present case studies that illustrate the
different ways of preserving these historic resources, as well as how
these properties have been impacted by past projects and what the future
may hold for them.

To kick things off HDC will host *a cocktail reception at the New York
City Police Museum on Friday, March 4th, starting at 6pm. Special guests
of honor will be Adrienne and Joseph Bresnan,* who worked for over 25
years to preserve publicly-owned buildings under four mayors and helped
create preservation plans for Prospect and Central Parks as well as City
Hall and the Surrogates Court Building. *Panel discussions will follow
on Saturday, March 5th from 9:30am to 5:15pm, and walking tours of
neighborhoods throughout the city will take place on March 6th from 10am
to 1pm. * Tours planned include; Roosevelt Island, Prospect Park, a
subway tour of some of New York’s most interesting stations, and a ferry
tour of New York’s rapidly changing waterfront, to name just a few.

*During February, HDC will host a series of pre-Conference lectures that
focus on specific cases of publicly-owned historic sites and buildings*.
On Thursday, February 10th, preservation consultant Mary Dierickx will
discuss *the history of the Carnegie Libraries*. The following week, on
Thursday, February 17th, New York City Parks Director of Historic
Preservation John Krawchuk will present *the current restoration of Fort
Greene park *and, on Thursday, February 24th, Ross Wheeler of Queens
College will discuss *the stewardship of upper Manhattan’s parks*. These
events will all *begin at 6:30pm and will cost $5 each, free for current
Friends of HDC. *They will all take place in the Kaplan Assembly Room of
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in the West
Village. Friends also receive reduced admission to other events over the
Conference weekend.

Make sure to check our web site in the coming weeks for full details of
the program and speakers.


    *LPC’s Demolition By Neglect Lawsuit wins in Court*

In a stunning victory for preservation, on December 20, *New York**
County** Supreme Court Justice Walter B. Tolub ordered the owners of the
landmark Skidmore House on NoHo’s East Fourth Street to make all the
repairs required of them by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in
order to reverse the building’s demolition by neglect and maintain it in
good order*. This is the first time that a court has enforced this
requirement of the Landmarks Law and sets a powerful precedent in the
Law’s enforcement. Preservationists have long been concerned about the
1845 Greek Revival Skidmore House, which was designated in 1970 but has
been allowed to drastically deteriorate for years (see District Lines
Winter 2004 <http://www.hdc.org/HDCwinter2004.pdf> for related article).
Despite numerous attempts by the LPC to require the owners to stabilize
the structure and protect it from the elements, in 2002 a portion of the
roof collapsed (emergency repairs were later undertaken and new roof
supports are now in place). LPC Commissioner Robert B. Tierney said in a
statement, “We tried for years to get them [the owners] to do the right
thing by this building, but the owners refused. After it became clear to
us that they had no intention of taking care of this historically
significant building, we sued. Justice Tolub’s decision sends a clear
message that ‘demolition by neglect’ will not be tolerated.” Senior
Assistant Corporation Counsel Paula Van Meter, who represented the LPC
in the case stated, *“The court’s decision is a wonderful holiday
present in helping preserve the City’s past. The decision will not only
save the Skidmore House but will assist the City in its efforts to
maintain other landmark properties.”* Ms. Van Meter also stressed to The
New York Times
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/28/nyregion/28landmark.html> in a
related article, “This isn’t creating new law. It’s simply enforcement
of the law in a formally litigated context. We’re not looking for more
litigation on these matters. We’re hoping the success of this litigation
will encourage owners to work cooperatively with us.” LPC Deputy Counsel
John Weiss stated in the same article, that this precedent will apply to
property owners who “irresponsibly neglect a landmark so it falls into
disrepair and then don’t voluntarily repair the building” despite the
LPC’s efforts to work with them. “Of course, we’re not going to be
litigating against people who don’t paint their shutters”, Mr. Weiss
added. *Kudos to the LPC and Corporation Counsel for all their hard work
and this important victory. *


    *The Next Step***


    * *

Now that the courts have affirmed the LPC’s ability to prevent
demolition by neglect, *the City Council should adopt legislation that
will streamline the process of enforcement*. As regular readers may
remember, in early September 2004, CM Tony Avella [Bayside-D] introduced
a bill that would allow the LPC to use its civil enforcement powers
(fines) in cases of demolition by neglect. This bill, Intro 403A
<http://webdocs.nyccouncil.info/textfiles/Int%200403-2004.htm?CFID=274432&CFTOKEN=86220655>,
was recommended for approval by committee but then ran into organized
opposition. It was amended for clarity and approved again by committee,
<http://www.nyccouncil.info/issues/bill_details.cfm?ID=Int%200403-2004&TYPE=all&YEAR=2004&SPONSORS=YES&REPORTS=YES&HISTORY=YES>
but presumably due to opposition, has been re-referred to committee,
where it is currently languishing. Please take a moment and contact the
sponsors of the bill
<http://www.nyccouncil.info/issues/email_sponsors.cfm?ID=Int%200403-2004>
and let them know that you support this bill which will strengthen the
Landmarks Law and save the City money by circumventing the need for
costly litigation in order to prevent demolition by neglect. Please also
contact your own councilmember
<http://www.cmap.nypirg.org/netmaps/MyGovernment/NYC/MyGovernmentNYC.asp?cmd=start>
and ask for their support of this bill.



    **


    *Call for Nominations *

Do you know a preservationist or community activist that should be
honored for their work? Please let us know! *We are seeking nominations
for our Grassroots Awards in May and our Landmarks Lion Award in
October*. Send <mailto:[log in to unmask]> a short statement describing the
deserving person or group and why they should be nominated for our
committee’s consideration.


      *Last Chance to become a Friend of the Historic Districts Council
      in 2004!*


      *
      *HDC’s Friends and supporters make all our programs possible. If
      you haven’t already, please take this opportunity to become a
      Friend of HDC and receive benefits such as free events, special
      admission offers, access to technical and moral support and
      advance notice of preservation issues. Learn more about the
      benefits of being a Friend <http://www.hdc.org/friends.htm> and
      join our mailing list <http://www.hdc.org/contact.htm> to receive
      an information packet in the mail.

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The Advocate for New York City’s Historic Neighborhoods

232 East 11th Street New York NY 10003

tel: *212-614-9107 *fax: 212-614-9127 email: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

--
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