Community Board 3 Votes to Support Two New Proposed East Village / Lower East Side Historic Districts
The big news this summer? After several weeks of preparation and testimony, it came down to Community Board 3’s Full Board vote, tallied in just a few tense minutes on July 26:
– Unanimous vote to support landmarking the Proposed East 10th Street Historic District
– 23-9, with one abstention, to support landmarking the Proposed East Village / Lower East Side Historic District.
Leading up to this vote, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission staff gave thorough slideshow presentations on the districts’ history and significance to the CB 3 Parks Committee. LESPI testified at each hearing, along with several neighborhood residents and other preservation groups – such as the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Historic Districts Council, East Village Community Coalition, and Bowery Alliance of Neighbors. We made a very compelling case for landmarking the districts based upon their important history, historic architecture, and value to the community.
To counter some vigorous opposition from three religious institutions who do not want their buildings landmarked, preservationists pointed out that the landmark regulations are not onerous and that hundreds of religious organizations, institutions and businesses survive and thrive in NYC historic districts, rich and poor. We explained that the districts’ historic buildings have value beyond their “bricks and mortar” – they tell the story of immigrant workers who built and in many cases handcrafted them, the immigrant families who lived, relaxed, and worshipped in them while getting started in this nation, and the renowned artists, writers, musicians, and political activists who made and continue to make these neighborhoods their homes. We spoke of how the districts’ amazing architecture and ornamentation have enriched and enlivened our environment, while enriching us all in the process.
So now that CB 3 has voted to support landmarking, what comes
next? The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission must now schedule its
own Public Hearing to hear testimony. After the hearing is held, the
LPC can then vote on designation. Once designated, the districts must
be confirmed by both the City Planning Commission and the City Council.
Preservationists still have a lot of work to do: we must ensure that the LPC holds its hearing and votes to fully designate the districts as landmarks as soon as possible. We must make sure landmarking is not overturned by City Council. Fortunately, City Councilmember Rosie Mendez’s strong support for the districts should help the process. Only when the districts are landmarked and the designation process completed will their wonderful architecture and cultural history enjoy the strong protection they deserve!
LESPI Brunch: Distritos Historicos y Comida Deliciosa
LESPI’s Brunch Benefit on August 7 was a big success! We all met at
El Camion Cantina on Avenue A at East 12th Street and spent the
afternoon eating delicious comida latina, drinking margaritas, making
new friends, and chatting with old ones.
The event’s theme – CELEBRATE and Help Save the Lower East Side – celebrated the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission’s recent calendaring for public hearing the proposed East 10th Street and East Village / LES historic districts, and Community Board 3’s votes of support for landmarking the districts. It also inaugurated LESPI’s campaign, moving forward, to have LPC schedule a public hearing for the proposed districts and complete the landmark designation process as quickly as possible.
LESPI has done a lot this year but there’s a lot more to do – see
www.LESPI-nyc.org if you’d like to help. Stay tuned for a large and
very exciting event we’re planning for late October. And thank you to
everyone who attended and helped make the CELEBRATE and Help Save the
Lower East Side event happen, including El Camion Cantina for their
wonderful generosity!
Petition Signatures – Keep Them Coming
LESPI members and volunteers continued their phenomenal work collecting pro-preservation signatures from folks outside Tompkins Square Park this July and August. We’ve now collected more than 900 signatures to support the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission landmarking of the proposed East 10th Street and East Village / Lower East Side historic districts.
During sessions lasting just two hours – as much time as our small volunteer regiment can generally put in – we typically collect over 100 signatures, and by October we aim to reach 1,200 signed supporters. One of the most rewarding parts of collecting the signatures is discussing the districts and LES preservation with the people who step up to sign their names.
Our stack of signatures demonstrates to the LPC that substantial
numbers of Lower East Side residents and visitors value the
neighborhood’s historic character and support its preservation. It also
helps counter a small but vocal opposition who do not want their
properties included in the districts. In fact, we’ve seen strong
consensus among residents and other New Yorkers that the proposed
districts must be approved and that the Lower East Side’s historic
architectural and cultural resources must be protected.
For those of you who haven’t been by Tompkins Square while we’re petitioning, come and see us! We plan to be there for a few days over September and October – we post the date and time on our Facebook page a few days beforehand. And if you can’t make it in person, keep your eyes open for our on-line petition, which we plan to initiate shortly.
Support LESPI!
We’re looking for people to help with outreach, people with specialized skills and experience, monetary donations (which are tax deductible as allowed by law), and any other assistance that can help further our mission. We’d very much appreciate your help in our campaign to preserve the East Village / Lower East Side and hope to hear from you in the near future.
Search “Lower East Side Preservation Initiative” on Facebook and
check out our site! If you click the “Like” button you’ll receive
periodic preservation, history and architectural updates for the LES/EV.
You’ll also be showing support for our cause!
About LESPI
LESPI is a grass roots, all-volunteer not-for-profit corporation
initially formed in 2007 to urge the LPC to designate as historic
districts intact portions of the East Village / Lower East Side. Our
strategy
includes documenting and mapping the historic streetscapes, starting
with the East Village, and rallying community residents, city officials
and the
LPC to effect landmark designation.
Contact us by email at
info@lespi-nyc.org or use the form,
through our web site lespi-nyc.org, or by mail at LESPI, c/o
Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 East 11th Street, New York, NY
10003.
