Meenakshi Srinivasan resigns as head of Landmarks Preservation Commission, agency confirms
See this story at TimesLedger.com.
By Mark Hallum
TimesLedger Newspapers
Meenakshi Srinivasan, the head of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, will be resigning following recent city-wide backlash over a proposed rule change within the agency to remove public input from decisions regarding approval of work on designated property, the LPC confirmed Thursday afternoon.
The LPC has yet to officially announce her resignation, but said it is preparing a statement.
Community boards, advocacy groups and Council Speaker Corey Johnson joined the effort to pressure the LPC to reverse its course on a rule change that went along with others designed to “increase transparency.”
Community Board 11 voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to oppose new rules at its April meeting, joining others such as the Municipal Art Society, Historic District Council, The City Club, the New York Landmarks Conservancy and others.
Johnson issued a letter to Srinivasan praising their efforts to bring changes to comply with other potential needs, such as barrier-free access, energy codes, and resiliency mandates, but asking the city agency to back down from the this particular rule change.
“The participation of the public adds value to our civic processes and, in the case of LPC, ensures that the commission’s determinations are based upon the best possible information,” Johnson said in the letter. “Contrary to the stated goals of the Statement of Basis and Purpose, the Proposed Rules will not increase transparency, but rather will reduce it. Under the Proposed Rules, there is no provision for any kind of public review of these delegated determinations.”
Srinivasan was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014 and oversees the city organization, which protects 36,000 architecturally, historically, and culturally important sites.
This is a breaking story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.
Source: Times Ledger
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