July 9, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
After spending decades in limbo at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, nearly 100 properties – including Long Island City’s waterfront Pepsi-Cola sign – are being reviewed in a process that began Wednesday.
The motivation for what the LPC is calling its Backlog Initiative is to address 95 properties that have been under consideration for landmark designation for decades, but have never been acted upon.
Long Island City’s Pepsi-Cola sign has been under consideration since 1988. Other Queens backlogged items include the Old Cavalry Cemetery Gatehouse at Gale and Greenpoint Avenues, and the Fairway Apartments in Jackson Heights.
The Backlog Initiative launch follows news from late last year, which angered some elected officials and preservationists, that the agency was looking to scrap these properties from landmark consideration.
Now, the plan is to give them each a dedicated shot at landmark status.
According to information posted on the LPC website, the agency kicked off a months-long process on Wednesday that will include public review and special hearings.
First, a public review period will run for a minimum of three months, during which the public can examine background materials on each backlogged property and submit comments to backlog95@lpc.nyc.gov.
A brief fact sheet on the Pesi Cola sign is available online here. An in-depth research file on the property is available here.
Next, the Commission will hold a series of public hearings on the backlogged properties. Speakers will be given three minutes. To register to testify in advance, or to submit written statements instead, email backlog95@lpc.nyc.gov.
All Queens properties will be addressed during a public hearing on October 8.
Finally, in 2016, the Commission will vote for or against designation for these properties. The Commission might also choose to issue a “no-action letter” for some items, which would remove them from consideration but would not disqualify them from landmark designation in the future.
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