Parkhouse v. Stringer: The Real Story

Landmark West!, Virginia Parkhouse, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer: What Really Happened

A recent New York Times article (April 12, 2008, Metro Section, pB1) tells thestory of Virginia Parkhouse-devoted preservationist, long-time Landmark West! volunteer, hardy citizen and, not coincidentally, target of small-minded, vindictive politicians. Click here for the"back story" behind the Times report...

In addition to a couple of minutes' worth of mandatory reading for any civic-minded New Yorker, you will find links to court papers filed by attorney Whitney North Seymour, Jr., defending Parkhouse against a NYC Department of Investigation subpoena issued after she testified at aLandmarks Preservation Commission public hearing in October 2006. You'll also find a link to a fascinating Amicus Curiae Brief filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union in support of Parkhouse's first amendment rights. Excerpts from the brief are included below.

Excerpts from the New York Civil Liberties Union Amicus Curiae Brief (dated December 27, 2007) in Parkhouse v. Stringer

"Virginia Parkhouse has spoken as a private individual before the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and now finds herself investigated and subpoenaed by the Department of Investigation of the City of New York ("DOI") for non-perjurious statements made at the hearing." (p. 2)

"The very purpose of the First Amendment is to foreclose public authority from assuming a guardianship of the public mind."(citing Supreme Court decision Meyer v. Grant, 486 U.S. 414, 419 (1988)). (p. 2)

"Exercise of subpoena power to demand an individual to account for their speech before a public commission subverts those constitutional values that allow the people to decide the merit of political debate. By forcing Ms. Parkhouse to testify under oath concerning her statements to a public commission and by threatening prosecution, DOI has burdened her right to free speech without any connection to a legitimate governmental interest." (p. 3)

"An individual's representations before a public commission are expression, pure political speech to which the most rigorous First Amendment protection applies." (p. 4)

"Much like the additional speech required in McIntyre, the subpoena issued to Ms. Parkhouse undoubtedly burdens her First Amendment right to speak before a commission concerning issues of public importance. The practical burden of compliance with a subpoena includes hiring an attorney, appearing before the DOI at the appointed time, and facing a battery of hostile questions under oath. Undoubtedly these increased personal costs would make even a civic-minded individual such as Ms. Parkhouse secondguess whether he or she should express their opinion before a public commission." (p. 8)

"The First Amendment interests in this case are not confined to the personal rights of [the recipients of a subpoena.] Although their rights do not rest lightly in the balance, far weightier than they are the public interests in First Amendment freedoms that stand or fall with the rights that these witnesses advance for themselves."(quoting decision Bursey v. United States, 466 F.2d 1059, 1083 (9thCir. 1972)). (p. 9)

"The First Amendment does not convey a "right" to the public to hear only a sanitized and government-approved version of the truth; rather the public holds a right to state what they believe the views of their leaders to be, even if those beliefs are mistaken." (p. 11)

"Any further investigation serves only a retributive interest in prosecuting Ms. Parkhouse for her speech." (p. 16)

UPDATE: Shearith Israel Hearing: April 15 Hearing for Zoning Variances

UPDATE: The Board of Standards & Appeals has let us know that the Congregation Shearith Israel application will be considered in the afternoon session, which is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Read on for more details.

Third and (Perhaps) Final Public Hearing at NYC Board of Standards and Appeals on Congregation Shearith Israel's Condo Plan for West 70th Street

Consider this email urgent notice to all of you who care about preserving the scale and character of our city's low-rise rowhouse midblocks, the rationale of New York's zoning laws, and the integrity of the public process intended to defend our neighborhoods from inappropriate development. Just think of all of the other institutional developers lined up for zoning variances around the city-St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, the New-York Historical Society, The Ramaz School, the list goes on and on...Connect the dots (and note that developer Jack Rudin, one of the city's most politically connected developers, is involved in both Congregation Shearith Israel and the St. Vincent's plan). This could well be the hearing that determines YOUR community's future. The hearing is open to all, and anyone may speak (even if you already spoke at a previous hearing).

DATE: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

TIME: Afternoon Session Will Begin at 1:30 p.m.

PLACE: Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street, 6th Floor (take #1
subway to Rector Street, walk west)

YOU can help win a key battle, one with major ramifications for the entire city. Just by showing up-even just for 30 minutes or an hour.

YOU can help reinforce the importance of a fair and balanced review process, one that isn't weighted toward the developer and major institutions. It's important to note that, despite over a year of paper filings and public hearings, Congregation Shearith Israel still has failed to prove that it meets the standard for any of the 7 zoning variances from BSA it would need to build a 105'-tall building with 5 floors of luxury condos stacked on top of a new community house.

YOU can help hold the line against out-of-scale development that diminishes quality of life. Because of the luxury condos, this new building would be more than twice as tall as any other building on the brownstone midblock of West 70th Street, undermining both its contextual zoning and landmark protection as part of the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District, designated by the Landmarks Commission in 1990. For more information, visit www.protectwest70.org.

We know mid-day hearings aren't easy, and we wouldn't ask if your presence weren't vitally important. Showing up means just as much as speaking up, so please make every effort to attend even if you don't plan to testify!

Shearith Israel Hearing: April 15 Hearing for Zoning Variances

Third and (Perhaps) Final Public Hearing at NYC Board of Standards and Appeals on Congregation Shearith Israel's Condo Plan for West 70th Street

Consider this email urgent notice to all of you who care about preserving the scale and character of our city's low-rise rowhouse midblocks, the rationale of New York's zoning laws, and the integrity of the public process intended to defend our neighborhoods from inappropriate development. Just think of all of the other institutional developers lined up for zoning variances around the city - St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, theNew-York Historical Society, The Ramaz School, the list goes on and on...Connect the dots (and note that developer Jack Rudin, one of the city's most politically connected developers, is involved in both Congregation Shearith Israel and the St. Vincent's plan). This could well be the hearing that determines YOUR community's future. The hearing is open to all, and anyone may speak (even if you already spoke at a previous hearing).

DATE: Tuesday, April 15, 2008

TIME: TBA

PLACE: Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street, 6th Floor (take #1 subway to Rector Street, walk west) YOU can help win a key battle, one with major ramifications for the entire city. Just by showing up-even just for 30 minutes or an hour.

YOU can help reinforce the importance of a fair and balanced review process, one that isn't weighted toward the developer and major institutions. It's important to note that, despite over a year of paper filings and public hearings, Congregation Shearith Israel still has failed to prove that it meets the standard for any of the 7 zoning variances from BSA it would need to build a 105'-tall building with 5 floors of luxury condos stacked on top of a new community house.

YOU can help hold the line against out-of-scale development that diminishes quality of life. Because of the luxury condos, this new building would be more than twice as tall as any other building on the brownstone midblock ofWest 70th Street, undermining both its contextual zoning and landmark protection as part of the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District, designated by the Landmarks Commission in 1990. For more information, visit www.protectwest70.org.

We know mid-day hearings aren't easy, and we wouldn't ask if your presence weren't vitally important. Showing up means just as much as speaking up, so please make every effort to attend even if you don't plan to testify!

Reserve today for April 29 Awards Celebration

Invitations are in the mail. Reserve your tickets today! Email us at landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org or call 212-496-8110. Use your credit card, or mail us a check with your reply envelope.

$500 Hit A High C
2 tickets, includes Celebration Committee listing in the evening's program
(see list in progress below)

$250 Belt It Out
2 tickets, includes acknowledgement in the evening's program

$75 Sing a Solo
1 ticket

$50 Join the Chorus
1 ticket, limited number available, reservations cannot be guaranteed until payment is received

~

Signature pomegranate margaritas, guacamole and much, much more generously provided by Rosa Mexicano. LW! is street smart, turn-on-a-dime, aggressive, effective...and we know how to have fun. JOIN US!

ST. MICHAEL'S UPDATE

St. Michael's Church: 28 Years of Landmarks Purgatory

This morning's public hearing on the potential landmark designation of St.Michael's Church, Parish House and Rectory raised hopes that 28 years of landmarks limbo may soon end for this remarkable religious complex on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 99th Street on the Upper West Side. The 1891 limestone ensemble (largely designed by Robert W. Gibson, with exquisitestained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany) was last heard by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1980.

A public hearing is always a positive step. Thanks so much to everyone whowas able to be there in person. The LPC did not vote at today's hearing but informs us that the record on St. Michael's is now closed. Still, this is an opportunity to make your voice heard on the broader need for action to preserve New York City's historic places of worship. Is there a historic church, synagogue or other religious institution in your community that needs to be preserved but doesn't yet have landmark status? Here's your hook! You can support St. Michael's (see below LPC statement of significance and LANDMARK WEST's testimony below; to read other letters of support, click here and at the same time point out that there's a bigger picture by naming other religious sites that also deserve attention from the LPC.

Join us in urging the LPC to end the tear-down trend that robs our city of its historic houses of worship!

Hon. Robert B. Tierney, Chair
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th FloorNew York, NY 10007
comments@lpc.nyc.gov
Phone: 212-669-7888
Fax: 212-669-7955

Hon. Melissa Mark Viverito
NYC Council Member (for the district in which St. Michael's is located)
105 E. 116th Street New York, NY 10029
viverito@council.nyc.ny.us
Phone: 212-828-9800
Fax: 212-722-6378

Hon. Jessica Lappin
NYC Council Member Chair, Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses
336 East 73rd Street (Suite C) New York, NY 10021
lappin@council.nyc.ny.us
Phone: 212 535-5554
Fax: 212-535-6098

Please cc. landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.


Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing On
Proposed Designation of St. Michael's Church, Parish House and Rectory
201-255 West 99th Street (aka 800-812 Amsterdam Avenue and 227 West 99th Street)
March 18, 2008

It gives us great pleasure to be here today to testify emphatically in favor of officially designating St. Michael's Church, Parish House and Rectory as a Landmark, at long last.

Twenty-eight years have passed since St. Michael's was first heard for potential landmark designation (in 1980). LANDMARK WEST! included St.Michael's on its Wish List of priority designations nearly 25 years ago-along time, too long, for any building to hang in limbo, its value and significance known but its future unsecured.

And yet there is tremendous urgency to protect this building now. First of all, St. Michael's is without question one of New York's most remarkable architectural ensembles. This gleaming-white limestone church,with its commanding corner tower, red terra-cotta tile roof and Romanesque-arched windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, together with its adjacent parish house and rectory, is already a "landmark" on the Amsterdam Avenue skyline. And the architect of St. Michael's, Robert W. Gibson, is justly celebrated for other landmarks he designed, including West End Collegiate Church and School (West End Avenue at 77th Street).

Without diminishing the special significance of St. Michael's, one can also compare it to West-Park Presbyterian Church at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and, a few blocks further south, Holy Trinity Church at 82nd Street near Amsterdam and First Baptist Church at 79th Street and Broadway (each was left out of the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District when it was designated in 1990 in response to owner objections). Or, even farther afield, St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Harlem. All are beacons in their communities, anchoring prominent sites and establishing a sense of place, time and scale for the surrounding neighborhood. All physically embody the dreams and aspirations of their founders, who often made personal sacrifices in order to create a public monument to faith, beauty and community. Each offers a unique window into the history of our city and the cultural memory of its people.

The caretakers of St. Michael's have kept vigilant watch over this beacon and lovingly preserved it. Landmark designation is an important validation of their labors and a crucial tool for safeguarding their investment for generations to come.

Their investment and ours. After all, the public assumes an extra tax burden so that religious institutions may freely pursue their good works.When a congregation maintains and preserves its building, it honors its social contract with the community. And because landmark designation is a key mechanism for making sure that promises of preservation and sensitive improvement are actually kept, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has a special responsibility to identify and protect historic houses of worship.

Unfortunately, the Commission has too often assumed a "hands off" approach,leaving these sites vulnerable to insensitive development that not onlydestroys the structure itself, but diminishes community character and,frequently, weakens the congregation. All of the sites previouslymentioned-plus many, many others in all five boroughs-are in immediatejeopardy as a direct result of the Commission's failure to live up to itsmandate and indeed its proven potential as an agent for revitalization.

In a compelling list of success stories, landmark designation is part of the formula for sustaining the vitality of religious sites-Eldridge StreetSynagogue on the Lower East Side, St. Bartholomew's on Park Avenue, the First and Second Churches of Christ Scientist on Central Park West. In how many cases does the replacement of a religious institution with a residential high-rise or office building ensure a congregation's survival or otherwise contribute to the cultural life of a community? Name one example.

We urge the Commission to designate St. Michael's Church, Parish House and Rectory, thus releasing it from 28 years of landmarks purgatory. We also urge the Commission to step up to its important role in ending the tear-down trend that robs neighborhoods of our historic houses of worship.

Honoring Margot Gayle: A Centennial Celebration

In honor of our dear friend and fellow trench-fighting preservationist, Margot Gayle, LANDMARK WEST! is pleased to pass along this invitation from the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America to join in celebrating Margot's 100th birthday on May 14, 2008. Honoring Margot Gayle: A Centennial Celebration is a fitting tribute to the founder of many of New York's most vigorous preservation campaigns. Margot didn't win every battle (she sounded an early call to preserve Edward Durell Stone's 2 Columbus Circle back in the mid-1990s, nearly a decade before it became an international cause!). But, thanks to Margot, Greenwich Village's Jefferson Market Courthouse, SoHo's cast-iron architecture and countless other landmarks have been saved for the future.

For more information about Margot Gayle and her Centennial Celebration, please see below and visit: http://www.metrovsa.org.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

On May 14, Margot Gayle will celebrate her 100th birthday! To honor one of our founders, as well asone of New York City's eminent preservationists, the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society is throwing her a birthday party. The event will be held at 6:00 p.m. on her birthday at the CenturyAssociation 7 West 43rd Street. We want you to be part of this special occasion as a member of the benefit committee!

As many of you know, it was around Margot's kitchen table that the Victorian Society in America was formed in 1966. Recognizing that the United States was rapidly losing its Victorian architecture, Margot Gayle rose to the challenge and established an organization that today boasts 16 chapters and over 1300 members.

Margot's commitment to historic preservation reaches far beyond her work with our organization. Her preservation efforts extend from the 1960s when she successfully campaigned to save the Jefferson Market Courthouse in Greenwich Village to a drive in the 1990s to restore the Yorkville sidewalk clock on Third Avenue near 85th Street.

A founder of the Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, she is credited with raising public awareness nationwide of the significance of iron-fronted buildings of the Victorian era. In addition to serving on the founding board of Friends of Terra Cotta, Margot is a widely accredited author and columnist. This year, as a special centennial birthday present to Margot, the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society is asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the SoHo historic district expansion so that she may witness the culmination of her life's work.

Please join us on May 14 at the Century Association to wish Margot a happy birthday and honor a woman who has devoted her life to preserving the rich architectural legacy of New York City and the Victorian heritage of our country.

Sincerely,

Jeff Sholeen

President

All but $100 of your donation is tax deductible. Please keep this for your records.

Names of attendees will be at the door.



Honoring Margot Gayle: A Centennial Celebration

May 14, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.

The Century Association

7 West Forty-Third Street



Yes, I/We want to join you in celebrating Margot Gayle's 100th birthday.



Amount Enclosed:



BENEFACTOR $2,500 ____________



PATRON $1,000 ____________



SPONSOR $500 ____________



CONTRIBUTOR $250 ____________



COMMITTEE MEMBER $150 ____________



I/We regret we will be unable to join you on May 14 but have enclosed a contribution to the Victorian Society in honor of Margot Gayle in the amount of $_________.



Please make checks payable to: Metropolitan Chapter VSA and mail to: 232 East 11th Street, NYC 10003



Name:____________________________________________



Address:___________________________________________



City:___________________ State___________ Zip:________



Phone:___________________ Email __________________



All replies received by March 15 will be listed on the invitation. Thank you!

Prelude to Preservation 2030

Hopefully you've marked your calendar for Preservation 2030, the annual conference sponsored by Historic Districts Council, taking place the weekend of March 7-9, 2008 (for more information about registering, visit www.hdc.org. The following pre-conference talks touch on timely topics of interest.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Preservation, Planning & Aesthetic Regulation in New York City
6:30pm, Parish Hall, St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Street at 2nd Avenue, Manhattan

This program is co-sponsored by Pratt Institute's Graduate Historic Preservation Program.

There are many areas of New York City that possess unique amenities but do not meet the criteria defined in the Landmarks Law for designation. Because of decisions made during the 1961 revision of the New York City Zoning Resolution, planning practice here largely does not deal with or regulate the aesthetics of place - the color, scale or type of building materials,which so affect the visual feel of a neighborhood. Arguably, the time has come to craft a different model, in which aesthetic concerns are central to neighborhood planning efforts. What framework for neighborhood planning can be devised to focus attention on the built environment as inevitable changes take hold within the public realm?

The panel discussion, moderated by Carol Clark, Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning andPreservation, will feature Sarah Kelly, Executive Director, Boston Preservation Alliance; Christopher J. Ise, Principal Planner, Providence,R.I.; Mark Ginsberg, FAIA, Partner, Curtis & Ginsberg Architects LLP; Julia Vitullo-Martin, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute; and Eric Allison, Coordinator of the Historic Preservation Graduate Program at Pratt Institute.

Thursday, March 6, 2008
A History of Population in New York City

6:30pm, Parish Hall, St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Streetat 2nd Avenue, Manhattan

According to PlaNYC 2030, New York City's population is expected to grow byone million people within the next 25 years. However significant, this isnot the first population boom our city will have endured. Since it first wasestablished as a center of the Dutch fur trade New York has been no strangerto growing populations and the commensurate physical growing pains. Thislecture will examine two eras that saw sudden influxes of new residents, thefactors that motivated these large-scale migrations, and the city's attemptsto accommodate these new arrivals.

Noted architectural historian and New York Sun columnist Francis Morrone will discuss the turn of the 20th century, a period during which New York City gained more than two million new residents in approximately twenty years. Dr. Jeffrey Kroessler, author of New York, Year by Year, will examine the post-WWII expansion in urban areas throughout the five boroughs.

Preservation Calendar Updates

UPDATE YOUR CALENDARS!

First, due to anticipated inclement weather, Council Member Tony Avella's press conference regarding the withdrawal of the proposed AIA zoning text amendments has been CANCELLED for Friday, February 22.

So, stay warm and rest up for two major, upcoming preservation events:

Preserving New York - Then and Now Symposium (this Saturday, February 23, co-sponsored by the Museum of the City of New York and the New York Preservation Archive Project)

Preservation 2030 - The Historic Districts Council's 14th Annual Preservation Conference (March 7-9)

For more details, please read on...

Preserving New York - Then and Now symposium
Saturday, February 23, 2008
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street

The Museum of the City of New York and the New York Preservation Archive Project invite you to attend Preserving New York - Then and Now, an all-day event featuring panel presentations and discussions that focus on issues that have remained central to New York City's preservation movement from past to present.

The symposium kicks off with a keynote address by Anthony C. Wood, author of the recently released book Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks. Panel highlights include a conversation between Robert A.M. Stern and Kenneth T. Jackson about preservation's role in the evolution of New York. Other panel topics include: "Where Did the 'History' Go in Historic Preservation?", "The Media and Preservation: New Media, Old Roles?", "Changing Preservation Advocacy Over the Decades", and "The Preservation Civic Sector in Times of Change."

The day closes with concluding remarks by author, scholar and rapporteur Tony Hiss. The event includes lunch, an authors' signing and a cocktail reception. The event is co-sponsored by the New York Preservation Archive Project and The Museum of the City of New York.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: $25 Museum member and member of co-sponsoring organization, $30 Non-member. To register, visit www.mcny.org, or call 212-534-1672 x3395.

For more information about the schedule and panelists please visit www.mcny.org or www.nypap.org

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HDC Presents Its 14th Annual Preservation conference, "Preservation 2030,"March 7-9, 2008

PRESERVATION CONFERENCE SERIES Save the date now for the Historic Districts Council's 14th Annual Preservation Conference,"Preservation 2030." The conference will take place March 7-9, 2008. Taking Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 as our starting point, HDC will gather a host of planners, advocates and professionals to discuss the future of preservation in the city. Is preservation included in the Mayor's plan for the future of NewYork? How can we make sure that preservation principles are incorporated into efforts to accommodate an additional one million people over then next two decades?

A distinguished group of preservationists, planners, elected officials, government agency representatives, architects and educators from across NewYork City's five boroughs will address these issues. These panelists are all intimately invested in the development and land use concerns of their communities and will dissect PlaNYC and it's implications for our city's future. The Conference will consist of three panel discussions: "Surviving the Building Boom: Urban Neighborhoods of the Future," "Building it Out: Suburban Neighborhoods of the Future" and "Tools of the Trade: Preservation Practices for the Next Generation." The Conference weekend will also feature an Opening Night Reception at Federal Hall and a selection of Walking Tours throughout the city.

Register for the conference by clicking here.

WITHDRAWN: AIA Zoning Amendments

WITHDRAWN! Proposed AIA Zoning Text Amendments

Retreating from a torrent of public criticism, the American Institute of Architects NY Chapter has contacted the City Planning Commission and formally withdrawn its application for major changes to the New York Zoning Resolution. These changes, introduced quietly and seemingly without concern for public input in Fall 2007, would have significantly impacted the character of our city's neighborhoods and undermined decades of community-led efforts to ensure balanced, contextual development.

In January 2008, LANDMARK WEST! and the Historic Districts Council co-sponsored a well-attended open forum that rallied community groups from across the city to learn about the proposed zoning changes. Thanks and congratulations to everyone who participated, wrote, called, emailed and did what needed to get done. Together, we got our message across, loud and clear! And BIG THANKS go to Council Member Tony Avella, Chair of the City Council Zoning & Franchises Committee, who held the line for New York's communities. Council Member Avella will hold a press conference on Friday, February 22, at 1:00 PM. The location is 38-50 Bell Boulevard in Bayside,Queens. Please plan to attend if possible!

To follow and join in the ongoing discussion on this issue, visit http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2008/02/aia_kills_drive.php.

Read the AIA's letter to the City Planning Commission:

19 February 2008
Hon. Amanda M. Burden, Chair
City Planning Commission
22 Reade Street
New York, New York 10007-1216
re: AIA New York Zoning Text Amendments

Dear Chair Burden,

The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, representing 4,200 architect and professional affiliate members, along with the Zoning Task Force it helped to convene, hereby withdraw from formal consideration the seven Zoning Text Amendments that were scheduled to be considered by the City Planning Commission later this month. We do so at the specific suggestion of City Planning Department staff, to allow for more time for public discussion of the portions of the Zoning Resolution which limit the ability of architects to create good design.

The aspiration of the American Institute of Architects, New York Chapter and the other organizations and associations who participated in the development of the proposed Zoning Text Amendments was an improved cityscape, a goal that has been a driving force for your efforts at City Planning. We regret that these suggestions will not come to public hearing at the Commission or at City Council, but strongly urge that efforts go forward to identify and correct inconsistencies and deficiencies in the Zoning Resolution.

We pledge to continue our efforts to create livable and sustainable communities through process change along with revisions to the Building Code and Zoning Resolution.

Sincerely,
Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, IIDA
2007 President, AIA New York

James McCullar, FAIA
2008 President, AIA New York
cc: Larry Parnes, CPD; Mark Ginsberg, FAIA; Rick Bell, FAIA; Laura Manville

Environmental Project: Urban Forests in our Midst

IN YOUR BACKYARD!

Urban Forests in our Midst!

Are you aware that there are roughly 115 acres of privately-owned open space on the Upper West Side alone? Have you ever thought about the unrecognized environmental benefits these areas convey to the City?

Whether we rent or own, have a backyard or a small placemat-sized patch of green, or live in an apartment, we are reaping the benefits of open spaces that are hidden behind Upper West Side rowhouses. What would the difference in our air quality be if these backyards suddenly disappeared? Would it be hotter in the summer? Would our water quality be worse during heavy rains?

LANDMARK WEST! has received challenge grants to help us reach our goal of$185,000 to support our innovative environmental study, Urban Forests in ourMidst: The Environmental Benefits in Adjoining Backyards in Brownstone Blocks¸ which we are undertaking in partnership with The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. We need you to make this innovative study a reality.

This study will quantify the extent to which these open spaces:
* Alleviate the urban heat island effect thereby potentially reducing air conditioning use and energy consumption;
* Remove air pollution thereby improving air quality; and
* Reduce stormwater runoff that overwhelms New York City's water treatment infrastructure during heavy rains.

This is a real opportunity to positively affect your neighborhood, and indeed the City as a whole.

Please see our website http://www.landmarkwest.org/green/greeninitiatives.htm for the full project proposal.

Donations, large and small would be much appreciated! Send us a check to support this project to: LANDMARK WEST! 45 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023-or call the office to contribute via credit card. Let us know what you think!

Call Evan Mason at 212 496-8110.