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PRESERVATION: HISTORIC DISTRICTS COUNCIL PLATFORM

Preservation and protection of our architectural, historical, and cultural assets is one of the most important factors in assuring that New York remains a livable city. Preserving the best of our city's past and adapting it for reuse in the 21st Century greatly enhances the quality of life for all citizens. Individual landmarks and historic districts continue to offer substantial opportunities for economic development, the revitalization of neighborhoods, the stabilization of property values, and the enhancement of the tourism industry.

New York's historic preservation community and other concerned community groups urge the candidates for elected office to commit to the following initiatives that aim to promote and protect our city's landmarks and historic neighborhoods. A preservation ethic must be reflected in the work of all city agencies whose work impacts the architectural, historical, and cultural resources of our great city.

1. Commitment to tax incentives to building owners for restoration work on historic properties.

New York City's elected officials should support the proposed State (Part E of A2001-A and Part E of S1149-A "Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Tax Credit") and Federal (H.R. 1172: "Historic Homeownership Assistance Act) tax incentive bills to encourage restoration and reinvestment in New York City's historic properties. Tax credits for historic rehabilitation generate localized economic activity and community reinvestment while enhancing the special character of our historic neighborhoods and contributing to the overall quality of life. We further ask elected officials to consider implementing a municipal tax incentive program to complement the programs at the State and Federal levels.

2. Preservation of public buildings, especially historic school buildings.

New York City must set an example for private building owners by preserving and restoring city-owned historic properties. We especially urge the preservation, restoration and maintenance of historic school buildings, which should preferably remain as schools. Historic school buildings anchor the city's neighborhoods and are often of a higher construction quality than newer school buildings. Moreover, it is commonly more economical to upgrade and rehabilitate historic school structures than to construct new school facilities. New York must follow the lead of cities such as Chicago and Baltimore in integrating the rehabilitation of historic schools into the city's education initiatives.

3. A well-funded and independent Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Increased funding and staffing is needed to enable the Landmarks Preservation Commission to perform its essential mission and to facilitate critical performance improvements by enabling:

a. Timely consideration and designation of historic properties
b. Better and more efficient enforcement of the Landmarks Law

The current Landmarks Preservation Commission budget is only $3 million ( 0.008% of New York City's $38 billion budget). For the city's 1,065 individual landmarks and 77 historic districts, there are only 45 Landmarks Preservation Commission employees.

4. Commitment to Zoning Reform that Reinforces & Complements Historic Neighborhoods.

Zoning reform should begin with the protection of urban fabric in livable neighborhoods throughout the city. Where appropriate, mapping of contextual zoning around historic districts will encourage sympathetically-scaled new buildings in the areas surrounding designated historic districts. Contextual zoning is especially important around designated brownstone neighborhoods throughout the boroughs where there are many blocks of outstanding, low-scale historic buildings outside of the historic districts' boundaries. Rezoning to match the existing built fabric within historic districts will reinforce the strength of the district and could prevent as-of-right "block-busters" from destroying the contextual integrity of these landmark protected neighborhoods.

April 10, 2001

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Greater Astoria
Historical Society