ABSTRACT
Mayor Wagner did not appoint James Felt, chairman of the New York City Planning Commission, to advance the cause of historic preservation. And James Felt did not assume the chairmanship to champion a preservation agenda from within the Wagner administration. Nor was Felt’s revision of New York City’s Zoning Resolution undertaken to provide the focus needed to energize preservation’s supporters. Neither was it intended to be a forum to call attention to the unresolved issue of protecting New York’s besieged landmarks and eroding historic neighborhoods. All accidental, such were the results of the above actions. Together, these unintended consequences would bring New York City tantalizingly closer to the day when it would have the ability to protect its landmarks.
