FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2013
Press Release re: Stalled Trico Landmark Application
Contact: Tom Yots
Phone: (716) 852-3300
Email: Director@p-b-n.org
On Friday, December 28th, 2012,
Preservation Buffalo Niagara(PBN) sent
a letter to
Ellicott District Council Member Darius Pridgen regarding
the status of the stalled local landmark nomination application for the
historic
Trico Plant #1 Building located in his district.
The
application would designate the already national register-listed
building as a local historic landmark and would in turn guarantee
valuable community input regarding the property's ultimate future. PBN,
the region's foremost preservation advocacy organization, is concerned
that the
City of Buffalo is not abiding by its own laws at an
immeasurable cost to its citizens.
The Letter to Council Member Pridgen states that, "it has been several
months since the Legislation Committee of the Buffalo Common Council
(Committee), of which you are the chairman, has had any legislative
action on the application." Per the City's adopted
Preservation
Ordinance, the Legislation Committee has 30 days from the date of the
required public hearing to act on an application for locally
landmarking a significant building. The public hearing was held on
April 24th, 2012, over 35 weeks ago from today's date. This public
hearing followed the
unanimous approval of the application by the
City's Preservation Board on March 8th of that same year. The failure
of the Committee to act on the application is a
blatant violation of
the rule of law and denies the citizens of the City of Buffalo the
privileges entitled to them under the Preservation
Ordinance.
The importance of local landmark designation cannot be understated.
This
law ensures that an informed, public conversation occurs
concerning the future of significant, irreplaceable buildings in our
communities.
To be considered a local landmark, properties must fulfill
established criteria relating to architectural design, historic
significance, and community importance among others outlined in the
Preservation Ordinance. Using these criteria, the Preservation Board
unanimously approved the local landmark nomination application for the
Trico Plant #1 Building over nine months ago.
The inaction on behalf of
the Committee is restricting the vital right of the community to
preserve our heritage. PBN respectfully requests that the application
for this historic building be properly discharged from the Committee as
soon as possible and sequentially be approved by the Common Council at
its next regular meeting.
Preservation Buffalo Niagara is eager to
assist the City in whatever capacity to ensure that the rights and
privileges afforded to the citizens of the City of Buffalo under the
Preservation Ordinance are understood and followed.
