Dear Friends:

Thanks so much to all of you who joined Tuesday night’s festive gathering of
the Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation in Everett Ortner’s extraordinary Park Slope brownstone (photo right). Now if that isn’t what preservation is all about, we don’t know what is! Anthony C. Wood, author of the new book Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks, was on hand to inspire us with the untold stories of heroes and heroines who fought to establish New York’s landmarks process – and why the fight must continue. For more information on this preservation must-have, click here.

Your generous contributions to CECPP are greatly appreciated. If you did
not have the opportunity to give on Tuesday, please take advantage of this
special offer: be among the first 5 people to email us a pledge of $150 or
more, and we’ll send you a copy of Tony Wood’s book (hot off the press!) as
thanks for your support of CECPP.

Email your pledge to citizens@savelpc.org today!

And stay tuned to our blog at www.savelpc.org. In the meantime…

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Many New Yorkers ask us what they can do to restore public accountability to
the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Here is a simple but powerful step
you can take:

Tell your elected representative in the New York City Council how you feel
about saving NYC’s landmarks.

It’s as easy as 1,2,3:

1. Look up your Council Member’s name and District Office address on
the Council’s website: nyccouncil.info [Just enter your street address
and look at your Council Member's "Contact" info].

2. Write a personal letter to your Council Member at the District
Office on your own stationery. Use your Council Member’s first name and use
your own words. Convey your concern about the future of the Landmarks
Preservation Commission and ask for:

. A bigger budget and staff for the Commission so that they can keep
up with their tremendous workload

. Open public records and prompt Commission consideration of all
landmark designation requests

. City Council opposition to the Mayor’s nomination of Landmarks
Preservation Commissioners who are more interested in destroying landmarks
than preserving them.

3. Send CECPP a coy of your letter for our website. [If you request,
we will protect your identity.]

KEEP INFORMED-Visit our website regularly, www.savelpc.org.

Come Celebrate With Your Neighbors!

Hosted by
Ann Walker Gaffney and Everett Ortner
272 Berkeley Place, Park Slope
(near Grand Army Plaza)

You are invited for drinks and an update on CECPP’s campaign to save the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. It’s been nearly two years since the first “Preservation Summit” when over 150 concerned preservationists like you came together to act on the dire state of historic preservation in New York City. At risk then – and now – is a Landmarks Commission that is under-funded, under-staffed, and unable to fulfill its legal responsibility under the NYC Landmarks Law. You and your neighbors spoke out, and CECPP has been working hard to secure the LPC’s ability to protect New York’s most beloved historic places through adequate funding, operational transparency and political independence.

The enthusiastic support of people like you, who fight to preserve the landmarks and communities of our great city, keeps CECPP going strong. What better reason to celebrate, and what better place to raise your glass, than the Park Slope brownstone home so lovingly restored by Everett and Evelyn Ortner, leading pioneers of New York’s preservation movement.

Welcoming Remarks By

Anthony C. Wood, author of

Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks
Copies will be available of this hot-off-the-press story of the people and places, the buildings and battles, and the policies and politics that led to New York’s historic Landmarks Law

“Vigilance is the price of preservation.” Edward R. Finch, Jr., 1965
~
Drinks and light food will be served. There is no charge for this event (but please bring your checkbook – it’s a fund-raiser for CECPP, in case you’re inspired…)

RSVP citizens@savelpc.org, 212-380-8612

CECPP Steering Committee

Eric Allison Educator
Hal Bromm Real Estate Consultant
Jeffrey Kroessler Historian
Anthony C. Wood Preservation Historian
William E. Davis, Jr. Architect Acting Chair
W.N. Seymour, Jr. Lawyer Acting Secretary
Kate Wood Preservationist Acting Treasurer

No, we’re not talking about Thanksgiving, Chanukah, or even Christmas. Yes, all of those holidays are coming soon but what we are really talking about is City Budget Season. If you follow the Independent Budget Office’s Budget Roadmap, you will see that the Mayor will introduce his Preliminary Budget by January 16th. Already, the news for the city’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009) looks pretty grim. Mayor Bloomberg has asked his agency heads to prepare 2.5% cuts for the coming year and has imposed a hiring freeze on all agencies.

Given the relatively low priority enjoyed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) during the city’s budget process, it is critical that preservation advocates, citywide, play a strong role in this coming year’s “budget dance.” As you may recall, earlier this year a group of advocates (including CECPP) worked with Council Member Jessica Lappin to secure a $1 Million increase in LPC’s budget. Despite our best efforts, the City Council was only able to secure $300,000, in part thanks to some negative lobbying by LPC Chair John Tierney.

Unfortunately, things are only going to get more difficult. That’s why it’s time for all of us to put on our armor, sharpen our swords and get ready to fight hard to protect the gains we have already secured for LPC while advocating for additional, badly needed funds. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on the fight and for ways that you can participate.