tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35127482.post1693004273686666941..comments2023-12-18T23:37:53.203-08:00Comments on Save the Lower East Side!: Commitmentrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10114555618686460805noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35127482.post-71791285470576796092010-07-23T08:23:40.762-07:002010-07-23T08:23:40.762-07:00Thanks to gentrification, the folks who live in th...Thanks to gentrification, the folks who live in this church's neighborhood have never been richer. If the church addressed these people's needs then the church would have a larger, richer congregation than has ever been possible.<br /><br />But the church's congregation is shrinking, because its leaders would rather do the easier, same-old than do the hard work of growth in its community. I'd bet that most of its members no longer live within blocks of the church.<br /><br />If the church were on a desserted island, its members could do what they want. But it's not. The church is in a community of many others. So, just as the church would have a problem if their neighbors started putting devil-worship idols on every wall on the block, their neighbors should have a role in whatever the church wants to do to its exterior.<br /><br />They can do whatever they want inside, but when it comes to exteriors that the rest of us have to deal with, then it's a community issue that all sides must come together on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35127482.post-42715031971211732352010-07-19T09:27:50.409-07:002010-07-19T09:27:50.409-07:00This blog's series of facts without the emotio...This blog's series of facts without the emotional gossip(which have prevented reasonable dialogue on the mutual goal of preserving the 2nd Street Cathedral’s facade) are refreshing. Thank you for this very balanced and fair account.<br /><br />While the church’s elected council (yes, they are very organized within) had listened to an architect’s proposal to construct wheel chair ramps, apartments and additional office space in the back of the building, the project was rejected by decision of the church before the LPC became involved. The church was naïve to entertain ideas of growth in this manner, but since that time, zoning laws have changed in the neighborhood so that future construction is not possible above the site.<br /><br />Still, there’s a continued push by the LPC to overtake the church and legislate the church’s façade. According to one advocate at last week's meeting, the LPC wants to add to its “inventory of buildings we have collected” on the Lower East Side, so that the building remains “frozen in time.” These are very different goals than the Cathedral community, which wants to preserve its beautiful building for the sake of the spiritual services within.<br /><br />Historically and currently, the pristine façade has been preserved with church member donations. Hand rails were installed and updated, and the outside icons are switched out periodically. A neon cross was installed in the 1970s above the doorway (which I think is hideous). With landmark status, replacing handrails or removing the neon cross (not to mention time-sensitive structural repairs) might require months or years of legal filings and solicitations for approval from the LPC. It is indeed ironic that the bureaucracy surrounding the LPC makes maintaining its landmarks infinitely more difficult, but the problems are described in excellent detail by this blog.<br /><br />The LPC has dangled the idea of “a windfall of grant money” in front of the church’s elected council. These grants are not guaranteed, and in fact, $3-$10,000 would make little dent in most historical renovation projects. Much of the work done on the Cathedral to date, such as the recently repainted handrails, has been lovingly handled by parishioners, not approved contractors. The financial burden of proving historical integrity would more than offset the possibility of these small grants.<br /><br />It is true that hundreds of hours and millions of dollars have been spent by the church to maintain its pristine beauty. One only needs to walk up to the cathedral, enter inside and absorb its resonance to feel this worth. But all of the time and money required to care for this building came from the community, not from the well-intentioned advocates and preservationists affiliated with the LPC.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />R.A. WrightAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com