December 10, 2002
Statement of the Historic Districts Council before the
Landmarks Preservation Commission
Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Hearing
In favor of the full designation fo St. John the Divine, Amsterdam
Avenue at West 112th Street, Manhattan
The Historic Districts Council is the advocate
for New York City’s designated historic districts and neighborhoods
meriting preservation. We are pleased to support the designation
of the cathedral close, in its entirety, of St. John the Divine.
The PowerPoint presentation offered by the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine is an impressive example of modern technology
and begins to illustrate the approach the Cathedral would take
toward the two proposed development sites on the Cathedral close
that it would like to have removed from the jurisdiction of the
Landmarks Preservation Commission. However, it does not offer
any reason why those sites should not be included as part of the
designation. HDC therefore, re-affirms its previous statement
in support of the designation of the entire Cathedral close.
The Cathedral has expressed concern that its ability
to attract a developer would be compromised if the two sites in
question were included in the designation. We note that designation
of entire neighborhoods in the city has not deterred developers
at all. To the contrary, the prestige of historic designation
seems to have attracted developers. While new construction in
historic districts is subject to an additional layer of supervision,
the resulting review by the Commission, coupled with public review,
results in buildings that are far more likely to enhance, rather
than detract from, from those historic districts. The close of
Cathedral of St. John the Divine is being considered as an individual
landmark. During the presentation, because a comparison was made
to the establishment by the Landmarks Preservation Commission
of boundaries of historic districts, it is fair to consider the
site of the Cathedral close in a similar manner. It is not uncommon
for the LPC to propose boundaries for historic districts that
are smaller than the traditional neighborhood they are supposed
to protect, with sometimes, ultimately, unfortunate results in
the streets just beyond the designated boundaries. We urge the
Landmarks Commission to be inclusive, rather than exclusive in
the case of historic districts. The same principle applies to
the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
We strongly urge the Commission
to take a firm stand in support of its own mission and authority
and designate the entire Cathedral close.
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