If you live or work in the Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Gramercy Park, or Turtle Bay neighborhoods, this week brings a public opportunity to weigh in on decisions that shape your streetscape and your city. Manhattan Community Board 6’s Land Use, Waterfront & Landmarks Committee meets on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM — that’s tomorrow — and the agenda is packed with items that matter to residents and visitors alike.
The meeting is hybrid: you can attend in person at 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 1404, or join via Zoom (registration required at the CB6 website). In-person seating is limited, so the board recommends joining online if possible.
What’s on the Agenda
The committee will continue its discussion of a resolution supporting the Historic Districts Council’s proposed landmark designations for five addresses: 400 First Avenue, 23 Lexington Avenue, 152 East 34th Street, and 207 East 32nd Street, along with a proposed individual landmark and interior landmark designation for 149 East 23rd Street. If you have thoughts on preserving these buildings — or concerns about how landmark status might affect development in your neighborhood — this is the meeting to attend or tune into.
Also on the docket: a continued discussion of public restrooms in privately owned public spaces (POPS). New York City has dozens of POPS — those plazas and atriums that developers built in exchange for extra floors on their buildings. The question of whether those spaces must provide accessible restrooms has become a growing concern for advocates and everyday New Yorkers who rely on these publicly accessible areas. CB6 has been working through this issue over multiple meetings.
Finally, the committee will take up the FY 2028 Statement of District Needs and Budget Requests — the annual process by which the community board formally tells the city what its neighborhoods need most. This is your chance, as a community member, to have your voice reflected in what the board tells city agencies.
Why Community Board Meetings Matter
Community boards are the most local layer of New York City’s government — and they’re genuinely open to the public. You don’t need to be a board member, a homeowner, or even a registered voter to attend. Renters, workers, and regular visitors to a neighborhood all have standing to speak. At Land Use committee meetings in particular, the board’s votes can carry significant weight with the City Planning Commission and the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
CB6 covers a stretch of Midtown East and the east side from roughly 14th Street to 59th Street. It includes some of the city’s densest office corridors alongside residential blocks that have been fighting for neighborhood character for decades. The landmark questions on this week’s agenda reflect exactly that tension.
How to Participate
Members of the public are welcome to speak at CB6 committee meetings. You don’t need to register in advance for most committee meetings — though the Zoom webinar does require registration. Simply show up, or log on, and you can address the committee during the public comment period.
The full CB6 meeting calendar, including Zoom registration links and agendas, is available at cbsix.org/meetings-calendar. You can also subscribe to calendar alerts for specific committees so you never miss a meeting that affects your block.
Coming up on Wednesday, May 20, CB6’s Executive Committee meets at the same location (211 East 43rd Street, Suite 1404) at 6:30 PM. The agenda includes a continued discussion of the board’s email policy, a review of June 2026 committee agendas, and the District Needs statement for core infrastructure and resiliency. That meeting is also hybrid with Zoom registration available.
What You Need to Know
- CB6 Land Use, Waterfront & Landmarks Committee meets Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM
- Location: 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 1404, Manhattan (hybrid — Zoom also available)
- Key agenda items: Landmark designations for 5 addresses; public restrooms in POPS; FY2028 budget requests
- Executive Committee follows on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 PM at the same address
- Register for Zoom via cbsix.org/meetings-calendar
- All CB6 meetings are open to the public — no registration needed to attend in person
Community boards meet September through June, so with summer approaching, the May meetings are among the last chances to engage before the board goes on hiatus. If you’ve been meaning to get more involved in what happens in your neighborhood, this week is a good time to start. You can learn more about how community boards work and what they cover at HelpNewYork’s guide to city resources.
