A City Council bill is aiming to rein in the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s scheduling, which has no definite rules on deadlines and can sometimes allow properties to linger in limbo for decades.
The bill, introduced Tuesday by City Council members Peter Koo and David Greenfield, would force the Landmarks Preservation Commission to wrap up proceedings on roughly 100 historic buildings that are currently stuck in the process, some since as far back as the 1960s, and would also establish deadlines for the future, Crain’s reported.
“This basically would clear the backlog, but more importantly, it would allow some predictability going forward,” Greenfield said.
The proposed deadlines would dictate that the commission hold a hearing on a proposed structure or property within 180 days of receiving a request for consideration and vote within the next 180 days. If an entire district is in question, the commission would have two years. If no action is taken, the property or district would not be eligible for resubmission for five years.
The Land Use Committee plans to hold a hearing on the bill in the next few months.
Earlier this month, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer announced she would introduce a landmarks application reform bill, but withdrew the announcement several days later. [Crain’s] — Tess Hofmann