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Q&A
Balancing LPC's mission with competing community voices and affordability concerns
1:16:52
·
3 min
Council Member Farías raises a question about balancing the LPC's preservation mission with competing community voices, particularly regarding concerns about increased costs and potential housing unaffordability. Commissioners Angie Master and Steven Chu respond.
- Farías uses Parkchester as an example of a neighborhood facing tensions between preservation and affordability concerns
- Master explains that LPC staff thoroughly researches and consults with stakeholders before proposing designations
- She emphasizes the importance of public testimony in the landmarking process
- Chu notes that while some perceive landmarking as restrictive, data shows that landmark properties often have increased value
- He clarifies that LPC is not involved in negotiations between property owners and tenants regarding landmarking decisions
Amanda Farías
1:16:52
I appreciate those responses.
1:16:55
I just have two more but just in the same vein of around this question.
1:17:00
I represent Parkchester which is a really it's a neighborhood that the same architect as Sidetown.
1:17:07
We have terracotta statues that are unique to Parkchester itself.
1:17:13
It's not historically landmarked and it causes the conversation around that causes a lot of different tensions because of the potential risk of the, you know, increasing costs for people that live within the condos that are there.
1:17:32
So how would you folks balance carrying out LPC's preservation mission with competing community voices, for example, between residents who support landmarking and those who are concerned about increased costs and restrictions that can lead to potential housing unaffordability.
1:17:49
And anyone can take this, not all of you have to if that's easier.
Angie Master
1:18:00
I'm sorry, but can you can you repeat the question one more time?
Amanda Farías
1:18:03
Sure.
1:18:04
How would you balance carrying out LPC's preservation mission with competing community voices?
1:18:09
For example, between residents who support landmarking and those concerned about increased costs and restrictions that can lead to potential housing unaffordability?
Angie Master
1:18:22
Yeah, that's a great question.
1:18:29
I think again, I think it's really the staff that goes through and identifies a lot of these sites and proposes these historic districts.
1:18:39
But I think one of the reasons that we don't get a huge number of proposals is that they spend a lot of time doing the research.
1:18:50
And I do think that they spend a lot of time really talking to the stakeholders, whether it's the property owners, the neighbors, you know, the local politicians.
1:19:00
I think they do a very good job of talking to the stakeholders and making sure, you know, that the timing is right and that, you know, to try and meet their needs to the extent possible.
1:19:13
So I think a lot of that stuff probably goes behind the scenes, you know, before something is proposed.
1:19:19
Once it gets to us, I think something that's very important is the public testimony.
1:19:25
You know, we encourage the public to come and speak, either supporting, you know, a potential landmark designation or, you know, voicing their concerns.
1:19:37
And I think that's a very important part of the process.
1:19:41
I
Steven Chu
1:19:44
guess I can add to Angie's comments there by saying that there does tend to be a public opinion that landmarking a property gives more restrictions, but at the same time, there's also data that says landmark properties are cherished and have more value because of them.
1:20:08
I think that that that is something that we hope could be educated to the public, that landmarking is in fact something to cherish the culture and and the history of a place or an event.
1:20:21
In terms of of, we don't really we aren't involved in that process of of negotiating between existing owners and whether or not they decide or not that they want to pursue landmarking for their structure.
1:20:36
So tenants, for example, and owners who may or may not agree on that, it is not in our purview to determine who has the right to to decide.