Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 074851
Queens, Block: 1475, Lot: 61
37-33 87th Street - Jackson Heights Historic District
An Anglo-American Garden Home style house built in 1924 and designed by C.F. McAvoy. Application is to legalize a brick wall and a storm door installed without LPC permits.

HDC Testimony
HDC requests that the commission to reject this application for legalization and work with the applicant to find more appropriate solutions. For example, we feel a lower brick wall of say 26 or 27 inches with hedges or other plantings in front of it so that the space reads as a garden area could be appropriate in this neighborhood. As illustrated in the application, a number of violations exist on this block, and HDC urges that these issues be addressed as soon as possible. Whether right or wrong, homeowners often take their cues from their neighbors. Allowing illegal work to stay only encourages further illegal work, and undermines the work of the LPC and the notion of an historic district.

LPC Determination: Denied

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 085105
Manhattan, Block: 22, Lot: 13
26 Broadway - Individual Landmark Historic District
A neo-Renaissance style office building designed by Carrere & Hastings, with Shreve, Lamb & Blake as Associated Architects and built in 1921-1928. Application is to install flagpoles and banners.

HDC Testimony
The Standard Oil Building is an elegant, neo-Renaissance building. A fair amount of signage was approved for this individual landmark in December of 2006, and HDC questions the need for three more flagpoles and banners. As suggested by the commission in December of 2006, the flagpole on Beaver Street could be acceptable compromise to mark the entrance of the museum on this rather narrow side street that could otherwise be easily missed. However, this should only be approved without the additional flagpoles on Broadway. There is no need for them as they do not mark an entrance used by the public for the institution and would only serve as advertisement. Samples of fabric, color and the flag’s text and logos must also be submitted for public review before anything can be approved.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 084898
Manhattan, Block: 149, Lot: 7
87-89 Chambers Street - TriBeCa South Historic District
An Italianate style store and loft building built in 1855-1856. Application is to construct a building behind the facades of the existing building and install new ground floor storefront infill.

HDC Testimony
HDC strongly opposes this application to gut a mid-19th century, landmarked building in order to build another structure within its shell. The resulting “balconies” between two walls and rooms without windows opening directly to the outside bring to mind the airshafts and rooms whose windows only open onto other rooms of tenements.

The proposal would turn the original building into large parapet walls raising a number of potential problems. The building's exterior walls are not accustomed to being exposed to the elements on both sides which may lead to new expansion and contraction issues. The former interior side of the wall could develop moisture issues as it will always be in shadow. There are also questions of support and the possibility of shifting. We fear that, like Amster Yard, this project is an accident waiting to happen. There is no true need to reduce a landmarked building to a mere shell of itself and risk the safety of what little is left.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 084507
Manhattan, Block: 1393, Lot: 14&15
1014 Madison Avenue - Metropolitan Museum Historic District
And 25 East 78th Street. A Beaux-Arts style townhouse designed by York and Sawyer and built in 1902-2; and a Renaissance style palazzo designed by McKim Mead and White and built in 1897-8. Application is to construct rooftop and rear yard additions, and alter the façade of 1014 Madison Avenue.

HDC Testimony
HDC feels some changes should be made to this proposal before it can be approved.

Firstly, the rooftop additions are very visible from 78th Street and Madison Avenue, and should be pulled back and/or reduced.

While the proposed façade alterations on 1014 Madison Avenue include some nice details, they would cause the loss of a storefront long a part of Madison Avenue's streetscape, so much so that it is coded in the Madison Avenue storefront guidelines as red for an historic storefront whose "features must be retained." If there are to be alterations, we would like to see a ground floor that is more in keeping with the original well illustrated in the historic photo presented. The proportions of the proposed feel off and details like the grills and divided lights are missing.

With a less visible rooftop addition and a ground floor that either respects the present, historic storefront or more fully reflects the original façade, this could be an acceptable application.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 082933
Manhattan, Block: 1140, Lot: 32
182-188 Columbus Avenue - Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
A neo-Grec style tenement building designed by Babcock & McAvoy and built in 1885-1886. Application is to reconstruct the façade.

HDC Testimony
As no material samples were available at public review on Friday, HDC cannot support this application. We would though like to note that 182-188 Columbus Avenue is one of the few remaining, unpainted brownstones along the avenue in the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District. The manner of its restoration is an important matter to the district and could contribute to a precedent for brownstones elsewhere in the city. Recently the commission approved cast stone to be used the reconstruct the façade of 48 Warren Street in the Tribeca South Historic District. The material chosen looked to be a good match to the original, but we have questions about how long and well the cast stone will hold up and how well details will translate in the new material. As more and more of the city’s aging, iconic brownstones face similar deterioration problems, other proposals will come before the commission. HDC recommends that this project and 48 Warren Street be carefully monitored so that an appropriate way of dealing with this issue can be determined.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 084638
Manhattan, Block: 506, Lot: 10, 11
34-42 Charlton Street - Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District
A Federal style townhouse built in the 1820s and a Gothic style school building built in the 1820s. Application is to construct additions.

HDC Testimony
HDC is opposed to this application to construct additions as it would obliterate the rear wall of this 1820s Federal style townhouse. Historic fenestration and fabric such as the cornice would be lost and the rear of the structure would no longer be recognizable. We encourage the applicant to work with LPC staff to find a solution that will meet both the school’s and the historic building’s needs.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 084774
Brooklyn, Block: 2414, Lot: 1
292-314 Kent Avenue - Individual Landmark Historic District
Three American round-arch style industrial buildings, designed by Theodore A. Havemeyer and others and built in 1881-1884. Application is to construct rooftop and rear additions, modify and create masonry openings; and install bulkheads, mechanical equipment, windows, ground floor infill, signage, a canopy and awnings.

HDC Testimony
While there are many things we could comment on, such as the loss of the other structures in the historic complex or the lack of illustrations showing the altered landmark in context surrounded by towers as planned, HDC will cut to the chase. If the proposed came to you as an application for an individual landmark - a building overwhelmed by five glass floors and enormous boxes of mechanicals on top, a building whose fenestration has been completely altered due to new masonry openings and window modifications, a building whose windows had lost all their historic varying details, their lintels, their sills and were now aluminum instead of wood, a building with strange geometric bays, incongruous with the round-arched style factory, jutting out of it – would this highly altered, differently detailed, differently massed building be designated? If these changes would make the building barely recognizable and unworthy of landmarking (we have seen buildings less dramatically altered rejected by the Commission or refused any Public Hearing at all), then these alterations are not appropriate for an individual landmark that is designated. HDC strongly urges you to reject this application and instead guide a suitable restoration for the landmarked Domino Sugar Refinery.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 078247
Manhattan, Block: 822, Lot: 69
52 West 21st Street - Ladies' Mile Historic District
A dwelling built in 1862 and converted to a commercial building with a brick and iron façade designed by A. Siegal in 1910-1911. Application is to alter the façade and install windows, a cornice and new storefronts.

HDC Testimony
HDC appreciates the effort and expense going into this project and looks forward to the results. There are some proportion issues though due to the fact that the store is slightly below grade. There a number of possible ways to reduce the awkwardness including returning the second floor bay window as seen in the historic photo or reducing the sign band area in order to lengthen the second floor windows. We also feel that there is too much glass in the storefront, and a metal bulkhead and framing around the doors and windows are needed. With some adjustments to this proposal, 52 West 21st Street could become a charming contribution to the Ladies’ Mile Historic District.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

Hearing Date: 2/5/2008
LPC Docket Number: 084483
Manhattan, Block: 830, Lot: 54
1186 Broadway - Madison Square North Historic District
A Beaux Arts style hotel building designed by Clinton and Russel and built in 1903-1904. Application is to establish a Master Plan governing the future installation of storefronts and to install rooftop mechanical equipment.

HDC Testimony
HDC compliments the applicant on the nice work going into this important structure in the Madison Square North Historic District. To make the proposal even more successful, we would like to recommend adding stone piers to the storefronts like those seen in the c.1910 photo. Their addition would create more harmony between the storefronts and the rest of the building and would give the base a sense of added strength.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

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