Full Steam Ahead!
Undoubtedly, 2017 has been a year of change, both for the nation and the Upper West Side.
Despite strong undercurrents, LANDMARK WEST! is focused on the positive.
After a decades-long battle, hundreds of letters and mailed post cards, and four formal hearings, the 1904 IRT Powerhouse designed by McKim, Mead & White is finally designated an individual landmark. The LW! Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) Committee which reviews and comments on each and every C of A application on the Upper West Side continues to make an impactwith our testimony. We are standing with neighborhoods gaining zoning protections and this year, the sanctity of interior landmarks was not only successfully defended–but in fact, set precedent for greater protections.
All proof that the tide is turning.
Yet, New York is like a big ship and takes a while to reset course.
Threats to two different out-of-scale towers loom at 50 West 66th Street (775 feet, equivalent to a 77-story tower) and 200 Amsterdam Avenue (668 feet, equivalent to a 66-story tower). Too much of the Upper West Side still has no height limitations, and worthy landmarks could be lost if they are not protected.
When the process works, it works. We can’t do it without you and we thank you for your continued support!