Landmarks Preservation Commission

Decides which buildings, interiors, and neighborhoods get official landmark status, and regulates what owners can and cannot do to designated properties. If you want to change the facade of a landmarked building, you need LPC's approval. LPC is why your favorite brownstone block still looks the way it does and why developers can't just tear down historic buildings. But it's also why some property owners feel trapped -- once your building is landmarked, every exterior change needs a permit from this commission.