Ad Threat Seen For Historic Areas
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009Preservationists in Chelsea and Greenwich Village fear a loophole in a City Council bill could bring a blight of advertising into some historic neighborhoods.
“I think it is certainly likely to diminish the character of buildings in commercial and manufacturing zones in historic districts,” said Ed Kirkland, chairman of the Community Board 4 Landmarks Committee.
The bill, proposed Councilmember Melinda Katz (D-Queens), would legalize advertising on construction sheds that cover sidewalks when buildings undergo exterior construction. Advertisements wouldn’t be allowed to abut any buildings or sites that have historic designation from the city Landmarks Preservation Commission, under the bill.
But advertising could still appear in historic districts originally zoned for commercial and manufacturing uses, which would include parts of Greenwich Village and West Chelsea, according to Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. (more…)
