What's happening
This bill requires the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the Broadway/Flushing neighborhood as a historic district.
Why it matters
Strengthens Preservation Protections. By mandating historic district status for Broadway/Flushing, the bill would give the neighborhood stronger legal protections against demolition or significant alteration of historic buildings, ensuring its unique architectural character is preserved for future generations.
Overrides Local Discretion. The legislation removes the typical discretionary power of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in this case, requiring them to designate the area, which could set a precedent for state-level intervention in local historic preservation decisions.
Potential Impacts on Property Owners. Historic district designation often brings new regulations for homeowners, such as restrictions on renovations and development, which can affect property values, maintenance costs, and the ability to make changes to private residences.
Recognizes State and National Significance. The bill ties local landmark designation to the neighborhood’s previous listing on state and national historic registers, reinforcing the idea that local protections should align with broader recognitions of historical importance.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Broadway/Flushing's Historic Status
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to cities
- Referred to cities
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Protect Broadway/Flushing History
In Assembly Committee · Cities · Sponsor Edward Braunstein
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1532
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT in relation to requiring that the New York city landmarks preservation commission grant historic district designation to the Broadway/Flushing neighborhood
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any other rule, regulation, local, special or general law to the contrary, the Broadway/Flushing neighborhood was granted registration on the state and national registers of historic places in 2006 and in accordance with such designation, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission shall grant historic district designation to such neighborhood.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01292-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act in relation to requiring that the New York city landmarks preservation commission grant historic district designation to the Broadway/Flushing neighborhood
Purpose
To require the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to grant historic district designation to Broadway/Flushing neighborhood.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 states that notwithstanding any other rule, regulation, local special or general law to the contrary, the Broadway/Flushing neighborhood was granted registration on the state and national registers of historic places in 2006 and in accordance with such designation, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission shall grant historic district designation to such neighborhood.
Section 3 states that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Currently, neighborhoods can change their zoning to protect against overdevelopment or apply for historic district designation to protect the historic character of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, some neighborhoods have been unsuccessful in obtaining either type of protection due to the difficulty in getting an area zoned as a special district or because of the overly restrictive qualifications that are required for a historic district designation.
One such neighborhood, Broadway-Flushing in Queens, has spent years fighting against the Landmarks Preservation Commission's refusal to designate their neighborhood as a historic district, despite their registration on the state and national registers of historic places in 2006.
This bill would require the Landmarks Preservation Commission to finally grant Broadway-Flushing historic district designation and allow the neighborhood to retain the unique architectural integrity of their community that would otherwise be lost to development.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.