At the Sept. 1, 2025 meeting of Manhattan Community Board 2's Landmarks committee, members discussed the committee's needs statement focused on enforcement and the effect of relaxed staff-level rules on signage. The committee also debated how to treat artificial floral or artificial-foliage installations outside storefronts.

A committee member summarized the problem with the needs statement: there is "a disconnect between what we see here within our community with enforcement and inconsistency," and "we perfected the wording of it" to press for better enforcement and for ensuring that approved work is built as approved. Members said the commission has told them it has "enough money and enough personnel," but the committee sees inconsistent enforcement on the ground.

Several members expressed concern that amended commission rules allow more signage to be approved at staff level, which the committee argued has created an "anything goes" atmosphere in the historic districts. One board member said artificial flower displays function like signage because they are an attention-grabbing identifier that can cover historic fabric. "It's not historic. It's not sympathetic. It a big thing is that it covers up historic fabric," the committee recorded.

Members proposed drafting the committee's usual letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission clarifying that permanent artificial-flower or faux-foliage installations are not appropriate for historic facades and should be treated under signage rules; some members said they would be willing to allow a strictly time-limited temporary display for a store opening but opposed permanent installations or a formal path to make such temporary installations permanent.

Ending: The committee instructed staff to prepare a letter to the commission after the election period and to continue monitoring staff-level approvals for signage; no formal vote or motion on the letter is recorded in the transcript.