Have You Heard of the Green Book?
No, it’s not about recycling and no, it’s not a list of past dates. It’s a New York City resource that lists contact information for all city agencies and many of their important staff members. For nearly a century the physical manual has kept New Yorkers informed about the agencies, offices, boards, and commissions that keep our dynamic City running. This year, to complement the traditional printed edition, the City is proud to publish the first truly “green” Green Book — a searchable, up-to-date City directory in digital form. And at close to 700 pages this is no small feat! Check it out HERE.
Village Preservation will find this tool especially useful in our “Preservation Watch” program where members and neighbors like you can report a potential violation of the Landmarks law to us and we will take care of the work of reporting it to the appropriate city agencies and constituents. Recent complaints filed through this resource allowed us to ascertain that the work being done to the cobblestones in Washington Mews IS in fact legal and in compliance with both Landmarks and DOB regulations. Think you know of a possible violation? Here’s what you can do:
See if there is a permit from the LPC posted (it should be on the front of the building, next to a permit from the Department of Buildings); if there is, and it describes the work you see being done, then it has been approved by the LPC
If there is no permit, confirm that it is a landmark structure or in a historic district (if you don’t know, see maps of historic districts in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo to determine if the structure is in a district, or you can call GVSHP at (212) 475-9585 ext. 34 or e-mail to ask. If the building is not regulated by LPC, it does not need their permission for work, and the work cannot be a violation of landmarks law)
If you think it may be unpermitted work or work which violates landmarks law, report it to GVSHP right away, and we can help determine if it may be a violation, and help you report it and ask for an inspection as soon as possible.
If you are sure it is a violation of landmarks law, or the situation seems urgent and needs immediate attention, you can file a complaint and request an inspection. Or visit the LPC violations page for more information. Please forward a copy of your complaint/inspection request to Village Preservation for us to follow up on.
And now you can peruse the Green Book to see if there may be any other specific City entities through which you can report these or other such issues!