Friends of Terra Cotta to Mayor

FRIENDS OF TERRA COTTA

December 10, 2005

Hon. Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

I know how mych emphasis you have placed on education for New York City school children, and therefore I am writing to urge you to reconsider the fate of Public School 109 located aat 215 East 99th Street. This supereb landmark school building deserves to be used and enjoyed by the public school students of East Harlem. The Friends of Terra Cotta, and many other preservation organizations worked hard with the "Coalition to Save P.S. 109 to make sure that this terra-cotta ornamented C.B.J. Snyder school was not destroyed.

I was educated in NYC Public Schools and have very strong memories of each of the three buildings that I went to. I also recently completed a large mural at PS 222, a new early learning center in Jackson Heights. My experience with this school, and the many follow-up visits I have made, further convince me of the importance of environment to school children.

I know that Gwen Goodwin's letter of November 14, 2005 outlines the current plans for PS 109 and provides excellent justification for returning this buildeing to a vibrant center of public learning.

Please take the time to discuss this issue very carefully with HPD and the Board of Education. Thank you for your time and also for your effort to keep the Austin Nichols Warehouse a designated landmark. The final veto by the City Council is a serious error on the part of our Council Members...let's send them back to school to get re-educated!

Sincerely yours,

Susan Tunick
President

Friends of Terra Cotta/New York State
c/o Tinick, 771 West End Avenue 10E
New York, New York 10025
212/932-1750