With an expedited application, an LPC work permit for a landmark property can be approved in 10 days.
The thicket of paperwork associated with New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission has often been a deterrent for owners looking to upgrade properties with landmark designations. To streamline the permit process, the LPC last year introduced new applications for expediting approvals.
The expedited applications, FasTrack and Expedited Certificate of No Effect (XCNE), offer a quick turnaround from application to approval for specific types of repairs, both interior and exterior. FasTrack applies to such work items as repairs on non-visible facades, interior alterations, and sidewalk replacement, among others.
An XCNE can be used for work done in the interior of the building (as long as it doesn’t affect a landmarked feature), above the second story, in a cellar or basement, and for several other proposed alterations.
Provided the application is complete and the property does not have outstanding LPC violations, approval can be granted in 10 days. The LPC reports up to 30 percent of new applications are filed using FasTrack or XCNE. Other types of applications, such as a Permit for Minor Work and a Certificate of Appropriateness, can take up to several weeks or months for approval.
To determine your building’s landmark status, visit the Buildings Information Search page on the Department of Buildings website and search by address. If the Landmark Status field is denoted with an “L,” it is a landmark or in a Historic District, and therefore falls under the LPC purview. A “C” means the site or district has been calendared, i.e., it is currently under review or consideration for landmark status. Properties in a calendared district must go through the LPC process until the city makes a final decision on the district’s designation.
The LPC has Historic District Maps for each borough, as well as maps for proposed Historic Districts. In addition, NYCityMap shows Historic Districts, Landmarks, Landmark interiors, and Scenic Landmarks for any given address or Zip Code (look under Show Additional Data on Map).
For more information, please see RAND’s LPC Fact Sheet and our Ask the Engineer on Managing the Landmark Process.
