Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics meeting
May 6, 2026, 10:30 AM
The Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics held a hearing on the Mayor's nomination of Lisa Kersavage for a city appointment, as required before the Council can vote on advice and consent. No vote was taken.
What was discussed
- Committee convenes and swears in the LPC chair nominee Chair Sandra Ung opened the Rules Committee hearing on Mayor Mamdani's nomination of Lisa Kersavage to chair the Landmarks Preservation Commission, described the LPC's charter role, and Committee Counsel Jeff Campagna administered the oath.
- Kersavage lays out her background and priorities as LPC chair nominee Lisa Kersavage testified to more than two decades in preservation, planning and sustainability and named her priorities as chair: balancing housing growth with preservation, advancing equitable designations, supporting small property owners, improving sustainability of historic buildings, and
- What is the LPC's equity initiative and how has it shaped designations? Asked by Chair Sandra Ung, Kersavage said the agency-wide equity work improved permitting access for individual owners and prioritized designations that are geographically and culturally diverse, including sites of civil-rights and social-justice significance.
- How does the LPC decide whether a site merits landmark designation? Kersavage told Chair Sandra Ung the agency weighs architectural, historic and cultural significance using criteria developed over 60 years, and explained that New York has no application process—requests for evaluation are researched and added to internal surveys that may or may not lead to
- How does the public learn the standards for permits and hardship applications? Kersavage explained to Chair Sandra Ung that LPC issues about 12,000 permits a year, roughly 5% requiring a certificate of appropriateness, and that hardship applications are rare (about 23 in the agency's history); she said the agency posts materials online and produced a YouTube explainer on the
- Will the LPC increase landmark designations to pre-pandemic levels? Responding to Council Member Christopher Marte, Kersavage acknowledged designation numbers dropped during the pandemic but said numbers are not the best metric, emphasizing quality, equity and ongoing surveys across all five boroughs.
- Would the nominee support stronger protections against demolition by neglect? Kersavage told Council Member Christopher Marte that demolition-by-neglect cases are rare and usually involve struggling owners rather than bad actors, and said LPC already has a strong law, enforcement policy and dedicated staff to address it.
- Would the LPC make it easier for individual residents to propose landmarks? Kersavage assured Council Member Christopher Marte that New York uniquely requires no formal application or paid consultants to request a designation, and said residents and community boards can approach LPC directly with a conversation or basic information.
- How would the LPC balance community perspective with merit-based decisions? Kersavage told Council Member Shekar Krishnan that LPC holds near-weekly public hearings and takes community and elected-official input seriously, while noting it must make merit-based decisions and be mindful that preservation is not used simply to stop development.
- How will the nominee keep the housing push from weakening landmark protections? Answering Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams, Kersavage said the Commission has approved additions, new buildings and adaptive reuse over its 60 years and that recent larger housing approvals in historic districts show a workable balance between preservation and new housing.
- Did the LPC get the Merchant's House case right, and how will it protect landmarks from adjacent development? Kersavage told Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams she could speak only broadly since the application is pending, but said LPC's prior approval imposed a list of 10 safeguards for the Merchant's House and that DOB oversees construction-protection plans; she agreed abolitionist history is important
- What would ADU rule changes look like in historic districts? Kersavage explained to Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams that City of Yes allows only certain ADUs in historic districts—basement, attic, or conversion of existing ancillary structures—and said she does not expect them to meaningfully change historic character, though exterior work would still
- How will the nominee address LPC backlog, delays and cultural-institution complaints? Kersavage told Deputy Speaker Nantasha M. Williams that district research takes time and responsiveness can improve, said she had not heard of long delays for cultural institutions and offered to look into the Bronx Zoo case, and described LPC's typical timelines and options to make projects cheaper
- What support does the city offer landmark owners facing higher maintenance costs? Responding to Minority Leader David M. Carr, Kersavage described LPC's hands-on staff help, a permit application guidebook, a small federally funded (CDBG) exterior grant program, partnership with the Landmarks Conservancy on loans, and a state homeowner tax credit she would like to grow.
- Would the LPC hold public sessions on grants for landmark owners? Kersavage agreed with Minority Leader David M. Carr, saying LPC runs permitting and grant information sessions district by district, often with the Landmarks Conservancy and the State Historic Preservation Office, and is willing to do more.
- How does the LPC weigh development that compromises a landmark's historic setting? On the Ernest Flagg Estate example raised by Minority Leader David M. Carr, Kersavage said designation reports define whether a site's significance includes the surrounding land, and that LPC can only regulate what it has actually designated, calling it an important point to consider.
- How can the LPC preserve neighborhood character in East New York and Brownsville while allowing growth? Kersavage told Council Member Chris Banks that LPC partners with City Planning around rezonings and cited the Empire State Dairy designation, which preserved the front building while allowing housing behind it, adding that LPC's role is to protect character, not stop change.
- Would the nominee support earlier, proactive engagement before development? Kersavage told Council Member Chris Banks that LPC designated resources ahead of the Midtown South and Gowanus rezonings and supports bringing preservation and planning together proactively where appropriate.
- What role can the LPC play in preserving historically significant NYCHA developments? Kersavage told Council Member Chris Banks that LPC has designated two early NYCHA complexes but suggested the National Register—already documenting public-housing history—may be the more appropriate tool rather than LPC's regulatory arm.
- Is a statue at Thomas Jefferson High School landmarked, and can it be removed? Kersavage told Council Member Chris Banks she was unfamiliar with the situation but said LPC generally does not regulate interiors of designated school buildings and that she would look into whether the statue is landmarked and report back.
Agenda
1 item
- M 0061-2026 Communication from the Mayor - Submitting the name Lisa Kersavage to the Council for its advice and consent regarding her appointment to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, pursuant to Section 31 of the City Charter. Hearing Held by Committee