Brooklyn Neighbors Upset Over Partial Historic Landmarking in Victorian Flatbush

Community Disappointment with Landmark Decision

• 🏘️ Residents of Brooklyn's Victorian Flatbush neighborhood express disappointment that the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated only a portion of their area as historic.
• 💔 Neighbors feel the decision to exclude their century-old homes from the new district, while including adjacent streets, is unfair and overlooks the historical significance of their properties.

Concerns Over Development and Preservation

• ⏳ For decades, residents like Janice Hammond and Alice Barrett have advocated for the preservation of their homes, citing their historical value and architectural integrity.
• 📉 The exclusion of streets like Westminster and Stratford from the historic district leaves these homes vulnerable to rapid development, a concern shared by the Victorian Society of New York and other historical groups.
• ⚖️ Residents are questioning the LPC's criteria, demanding proof that their blocks possess less architectural integrity than those included in the designated district.

LPC's Justification and Resident Response

• 🧐 A spokesperson for the LPC stated that the selected streets had the strongest architecture and most cohesive streetscapes not previously designated, best representing the neighborhood's development history.
• 📢 The LPC also cited that excluded homes had more alterations and lower quality architecture, a claim residents dispute and ask for documented evidence of.
• 💪 Despite the LPC's decision, neighbors are committed to continuing their advocacy to ensure the remaining streets are added to the historic district, believing their homes are equally worthy of protection.