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This is a machine generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.
This is Robert C. Reinberg critical in architecture and planning call your attention to an upcoming public hearing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission scheduled to begin a ten in the morning this coming Tuesday December thirteen at City Hall as all know by now landmarks law requires the commission to terminate its hearings at the designate at the designation of landmarks and historic districts by the end of the year that is December thirty first which would be the last possible date that a do item can be put up for hearing thereafter the commission by law can hold no further hearings for three long years during that period however the commission will of course continue to be active in investigating and studying additional landmarks and historic districts for hearing after the three years are up and will also be engaged in the work of administering the law with respect to those landmarks and historic districts which have already been designated many individual buildings have been have been proposed to the Commission for designation by the public and many of these as well as a number of proposed historic districts will be on the calendar for hearing this Tuesday December thirteenth included are three historic districts in Brooklyn two in Manhattan as well as three individual landmarks in the Bronx twenty in Manhattan one in Brooklyn and five in Queens all in all there are thirty four separate items coming up representing such a variety of historic districts and such a variety of types of landmarks that it is not possible even to summarize each of them in this short report included in the proposed landmarks are some churches and cemeteries as well as individual houses hotels apartment houses and a number of well known public institutions each is characteristic of its in its own way and deserves specific comment. The historic districts include small groups of houses as well as one of more complete blocks in each case the district constitutes a neighborhood of distinctive character while not required under the law to contain any individual buildings qualifying as landmarks because of architectural restart district they are considered worthy of preservation just because they constitute characteristic parts of the city's fabric which are important to protect in this way We must always bear in mind the distinct difference between these two types of designation which the commission is making individual landmarks must by law have recognized architectural or historic value historic districts on the other hand areas which as a whole constitute a neighborhood which in and for itself is worth giving the protection which the law affords this distinction is often overlooked by those who incorrectly assume that every building within an historic district must meet the requirements of being an individual landmark since one or more of the proposed landmarks in historic districts on the December thirteenth calendar may be near where you live or work or may involve a building or a neighborhood you have long cherished and want to see protected it is important that you come to City Hall and your express your opinion about it I shall myself attend the hearing and will comment on a number of the items the calendar listing the thirty four locations up for hearing with a brief description of each is available at the office of the Landmarks Preservation Commission to Lafayette Street New York this is Robert C. Weinberg critic at large and architecture planning.