Manhattan CB6 land use committee defers landmarks comments

A landmarks comment deadline is colliding with CB6’s meeting calendar. Manhattan Community Board 6’s Land Use, Waterfront & Landmarks Committee discussed proposed changes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Title 63 rules but took no action. The LPC comment deadline falls too close to CB6’s November full-board meeting for members to be sure an official position could be adopted and submitted in time. The chair said the topic was on the agenda because people had asked to discuss it and the deadline was approaching.

Members weighed whether to send comments as individuals, alert LPC that an official CB6 response might arrive one or two days late, or pursue an executive committee route. One member worried that a personal comment could be mistaken for CB6’s position and described an earlier email that had been rejected. The chair and staff said they would look into it. Another member asked about publication of the rules and the comment-period timeline.

The discussion briefly turned to the rules themselves. One member supported allowing substitute materials such as terracotta for cladding, while urging care when the material serves a structural purpose. That member suggested a catalog of products approved in earlier FISP cycles, including terracotta and windows. The chair said the CB6 office would email members for their views, and a resolution could be drafted from those comments. For now, the item remains deferred, with no CB6 position adopted.

Avenue C could see roughly two months of detours starting in November. NYC Department of Design and Construction representatives told Manhattan Community Board 6’s Land Use, Waterfront & Landmarks Committee that the next phase of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Parallel Conveyance Project will install sewer capacity along Avenue C and East 20th Street. A formal advisory will provide dates. Under the proposed Phase 1 plan, southbound traffic would shift into northbound lanes, northbound traffic would go to the FDR Drive, and two crosswalks would close. Sidewalks would remain open.

DDC said the added pipe capacity will help manage rainwater when coastal storm surge forces tide gates shut. Interceptor gates will keep floodwaters outside the protected area from entering its drainage system; pumping-station capacity will not change. Near East 20th Street, plans call for an underground gate chamber and a small building in the median to house its controls.

Crews are investigating utilities near Avenue C and East 18th Street, while gas relocation continues farther north. DDC said FDR Drive traffic restrictions could require weekend or overnight work. It plans weekly construction bulletins and advisories for major changes. Asked about bus service, DDC said it is coordinating with the MTA on stop relocations and rerouting.