Preservationists listen in on the hearing. Photo by James Kelleher.

Proposed preservation of the East Village meets a vocal audience

The city’s preservationists came together in City Hall Tuesday when they made their voices heard at a Landmark Preservation Commission public hearing regarding proposed preservation designation for parts of the East Village.

The proposal includes many historical, albeit dated, buildings like the Congregation Meseritz Synagogue and Max D. Raskin Center, both on East 6th, Duo Multicultural Center on East 4th, and the popular ale house on East 7th, McSorley’s.

In all, the proposal covers protects 330 buildings, the NY Times says.

Alongside many of the neighborhood’s foreign residents, who cite the area’s “contextual architecture” and storied past, representatives from the offices of State Senator Tom Duane, State Senator Daniel Squadron, and Councilman Rosie Mendez strongly supported the LPC’s effort.

As expected, local clergy were the opposition’s loudest voices, saying their groups would be put under extreme financial strains if their buildings were landmarked.

One member of the parish went as far as labeling the landmarking a sin.

The meeting was another stop in the LPC’s “extensive correspondence” with local voices, and there is no ETA for the committee’s decision.

The Landmark Preservation Commission spoke with property owners in Morningside Heights about a potential historic district in the area Monday, Sept. 20, at Riverside Church

This is a crucial but informal part of the landmark designation process, similar to a recent meeting of property owners about preserving West End Avenue buildings.

Walter South, who heads the Morningside Heights Historic District Committee, was miffed that the Landmarks Preservation Commission never notified the local community board on which he serves. Still, South was nonetheless pleased the commission was moving forward on a proposal he has pursued since 1996.

“We have a number of institutions in the area that have been expanding and insisting they need more space for so-called academic purposes,” South said, making a thinly veiled swipe at Columbia University.

Columbia already demolished brownstones on West 115th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive.

Another threat to the unique architecture of Morningside Heights buildings are owners that strip off ornamentation rather than make repairs, South argued.

“The area is losing a lot of its architectural distinction,” South said. “Cornices have been removed from buildings.”

Rev. Robert Brashear, however, now faces complicated restrictions as he seeks ways to finance restoration of the aging building, at 165 W. 86th St. and Amsterdam Avenue.

Preservations had long urged the city to protect the historic church, with Upper West Side groups, elected officials and Community Board 7 arguing that the church is a beautiful example of religious architecture.

Robery Tierney, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, called the church “one of the best examples of a Romanesque Revival-style religious structure” in the city.

“Its deep red sandstone cladding, broad round-arch openings and soaring tower endow a prominent intersection of the Upper West Side with an unmistakable sense of place,” Tierney said in a statement.

Previously, the church had been a refuge for the homeless, who continued to gather outside even though the congregation had moved and services were no longer offered. But at the request of nearby residents, business owners and Community Board 7, church officials erected metal gates around the four entrances to keep people from sleeping and congregating there.

Council Member Gale Brewer, who supported protecting the church, said the commission’s decision saved the building.

“We’ve also preserved a spiritual and everyday landmark for our neighborhood, protecting not only architecture, but history, heritage and quality of life,” she said in a statement.

For years, the crumbling exterior was in need of expensive maintenance. Scaffolding had to be erected to stop chunks of stone from falling down, according to Brashear.

The reverend has tried to work with a developer to finance such work, but the landmark designation will have a “chilling effect” on such a deal, he said.

“Designating it as a landmark doesn’t necessarily mean it’s protected,” Brashear said. “The question is, where does the money come from, the resources come from, to not only preserve, but restore?”

Assembly Member Rosenthal, who got the city to pull demolition permits on the church, wants to help find a partner that will preserve the structure and be a benefit to the congregation.

“I don’t think that’s an impossible chore,” Rosenthal said. “There are worthy groups out there that do need more space and are of a similar philosophical attitude.”

Brashear said that he has heard similar comments from landmark proponents in the community, but he is waiting for a solid proposal.

“Words are one thing, reality is another and we have to move toward reality,” Brashear said. “I’m open to any proposals discussions. But we need to talk in concrete terms.”

Benevolent sounds also protect us from now epidemic premature hearing loss. And we “save the environment,” too by making and listening to music that is unplugged. But nobody heading the unprecedented worldwide energy-saving crusade is pushing for this, or protesting the fuel needed to pump up plugged-in super-high-decibel music and sound.

And where’s the push against excessive electric lighting use, instead of banning the good for-what-ails-us kindly incandescent bulb? Lighting, like music and sound, has been so mindlessly “pumped up” this last half century in everyday places and over-the-top in theatrical, entertainment, sporting and other public events. The natural beauty of Christmas and other trees can’t be seen because of the excessive lighting now used to decorate them. Fluorescent and other so-called energy-savers, which unlike incandescents make us feel and look tired and wan, emit radiation and are not biodegradable.

To “save energy” healthfully and prevent untold human suffering—plus reduce the multibillion-dollar cost of traffic tragedies—then, doggone it, lower the speed limit worldwide. And in the interest of peace and goodwill, only use expletives that don’t need deleting like “Doggone it!”

In the Big Apple and other cities and towns, there’s a shamefully ignored small business crisis killing eateries and stores that supply everyday physical and emotional needs. Most lamentably, Borough President Scott Stringer told the highly concerned East 79th Street Neighborhood Association that his plan in the making to address this small business crisis cannot save the 38-year-old Café 79 restaurant diner on 79th and First. So many such needed places are endangered; so many have already been lost.

But now let’s thank John, Peter and all the Café 79 staff for the incalculable blessings this neighborly diner has bestowed upon the community for nearly four decades.

And the stores and restaurants imperiled by the Second Avenue subway construction need our business. Indeed, every legislative office party/event should be held or catered from there, and gifts and other goods purchased as well.

Again, here’s to patronizing small businesses, making our own music, unplugged, what else! Save energy, but only when it doesn’t do harm. Smile, but not at wrong-doing—then do protest it, even if you must do it alone. Use the “technopoly” stuff in great moderation (read Neil Postman’s book of that name!). Ditto alcohol; its immoderate use still gets a perilous pass. Be familial, friendly and neighborly. Speaking of excesses, forget “sexy!”

And here’s to the wisdom to know what to save, change and retrieve, not only on Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. As for change we need, the more birthdays we’ve had, the more they deserve to be celebrated, doggone it!
–
dewingbetter@aol.com