As simple minded as this letter may be, below is a message submitted through LPC's contact Tierney page. They only allow 150 words. I'll write something more formal once I get through my last final exam tomorrow.
Dear Mr. Tierney,
I am an architecture student and life long resident of Manhattan Beach and I am asking for your support in getting Manhattan Beach recognized as a historical district. I have been told by community members that it has been tried but that we do not qualify for our low number of historic houses. 230 Corbin Place is one home that has been unaltered in its 100 years of life and the DOB has processed demolition paperwork for it. This house is a representation of Manhattan Beach's vernacular architecture of the 1900s. If the city continues to allow these structures to be torn down, we may never qualify.
Please help us allow the LPC determine the historical significance of our homes and whether the city owes it to my generation and those that follow to ensure that physical records of our constructed accomplishments remain.
Sincerely,
Valerie Landriscina
3 comments:
One little suggestion - amend the end to read "Please help us allow the LPC to determine the historical significance of our homes before any further demolition occurs, so that we might determine whether the city owes it...
Thing is, hindsight is 20/20. Look at the Garrick & the Stock Exchange in Chicago. They might well decide that it is valuable to have those records - and by the time they make that determination, the physical evidence might well be landfill.
Thank you for the revision. That does sound better.
I received a reply today via email from LPC:
Thank you for your email, which has been forwarded to me for a response.
I would encourage you to submit a formal Request for Evaluation for the properties in Manhattan Beach you'd like to nominate for designation.
You may find this form on our website, www.nyc.gov/landmarks, under "Forms and Publications." Please include photographs and any pertinent historical information.
Thank you for your interest in historic preservation.
Regards,
Emily Rich
Public Information Officer
I'd urge you to do so! As I suggested before, it's unlikely that the LPC will designate a historic district in MB, but it is very likely that some buildings are eligible for landmark status.
The more historical information you can include, the more likely the building is to go to vote - and both recent and historic photographs also help make a case. As an architect yourself, point to unique architectural characteristics in the physical buildings which make them distinct.
And don't get discouraged. Sadly, a very small proportion of nominated buildings get landmarked. But some do, which makes all the effort worth it.
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