Photo Courtesy of Google
An individual landmark at 86-15 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Chair Sarah Carroll, and City Department of Buildings (DOB) Acting Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik on Friday announced an action plan to strengthen enforcement tools that will preserve the city’s most vulnerable historic buildings.
The plan will aid in protecting buildings designated as historic landmarks that are at risk due to pre-existing unknown structural conditions, owner neglect, and contractor negligence, and focuses on early detection of risks to designated buildings, more robust engineering oversight, increased coordination, and communication between LPC and DOB, and enhanced community tools, including new digital tools.
LPC and DOB have identified three primary risks to landmark designated buildings: pre-existing unknown structural conditions, demolition by neglect, and illegal work by contractors/contractor error. They have therefore developed additional strategies to identify vulnerable buildings earlier and strengthen their enforcement:
Earlier Detection and Enhanced Monitoring of At-Risk Buildings
- DOB will share more data with LPC so vulnerable conditions can be identified earlier and monitored by LPC.
- LPC will work with DOB and the Fire Department of the City of New York to use data to help identify compromised roofs.
- LPC and DOB will enhance existing coordination with DOB’s Forensic Engineering Unit of at-risk landmarks.
- LPC recently hired additional enforcement staff to enhance monitoring of identified buildings.
Engineering Review and Increased Oversight
- Increase the types of applications that will undergo review by LPC’s consulting engineer to help identify pre-existing unknown structural conditions before an LPC and DOB permit is issued and work commences.
- DOB’s Construction Safety Engineering Unit will review certain applications for work, including excavation and additions that require significant demolition of the rear walls prior to approval by LPC.
- DOB and LPC will require joint inspections during certain construction work that involves extensive construction, demolition, and excavation.
Enhance Community Tools and Outreach
- LPC will upload violation information to its maps for increased transparency and collaboration with communities.
- LPC will provide additional violation information directly to community boards and other stakeholders to provide earlier notification to communities.
- LPC will partner with citywide and local groups on educational programming for property owners.
Buildings under Consideration for Designation
In addition to these new steps to protect designated buildings, LPC and DOB have taken action to protect buildings that are under consideration for designation by LPC by requiring all new full demolition jobs to be filed in DOB’s online public portal, DOB NOW: Build, instead of the previously used Buildings Information System (BIS) — creating more transparency and accountability. DOB will also require certain jobs filed in BIS prior to DOB NOW’s launch to be refiled in DOB NOW.
LPC and DOB are committed to protecting designated buildings and have had considerable success in resolving structural and potential demolition by neglect situations. Some examples include the Samuel Treadwell Skidmore House, an individual landmark at 37 East 4th St. in the East Village, 243 and 245 Lenox Ave. in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park Historic District, and an individual landmark at 86-15 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill.
