February 17, 2009

Statement of the Historic Districts Council before the Landmarks Preservation Commission
Certificate of Appropriateness Hearing

The Historic Districts Council is the advocate for New York City’s designated historic districts and neighborhoods meriting preservation. Its Public Review Committee monitors proposed changes within historic districts and changes to individual landmarks and has reviewed the following applications that were before the Commission.

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 095577
Manhattan, Block: 1150, Lot: 37
118 West 79th Street - Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
A neo-Romanesque style apartment building designed by Emery Roath and built in 1925. Application is to alter window openings.

HDC Testimony
HDC does not find this proposal appropriate as it would alter the intact window pattern and arrangement on Emery Roth’s 118 West 79th Street. Although this is a secondary fa?ade, it is clearly visible over its shorter neighors. Approving this application would set a precedent for changes to the window openings on the other floors until the historic arrangement is completely lost. The existing window configuration reflects the time of the building’s design and construction when servants quarters were part of these apartments. Although this may not be the case now, it is a bad idea to let new interior use and configuration drive the external appearance and changes to the historic design. HDC requests that the Commission not approve this application.

LPC Determination: Incomplete

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 096368
Brooklyn, Block: 2119, Lot: 9
305 Cumberland Street - Fort Greene Historic District
An Italianate style frame house built in 1851. Application is to alter the rear fa?ade.

HDC Testimony
The addition of 305 Cumberland Street are charming, important pieces of this rare 1851 framed house. HDC feels that too much fabric is being removed from the additions’ rear walls only to be replaced with large plate glass windows and doors with little detail, leaving a blank facade. We ask that the glazing be scaled down to fit more comfortably with the historic character and nature of this home.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 092831
Manhattan, Block: 222, Lot: 1
441-453 Greenwich Street - TriBeCa North Historic District
aka 34-48 Vestry Street and 9-17 Desbrosses Street, a Romanesque Revival style warehouse designed by Charles C. Haight and built in 1883-1884. Application is to replace paving and install lighting at the sidewalk.

HDC Testimony
HDC finds the addition of cobble stones on this wide sidewalk a welcomed alteration. We do though have issue with the up lights at the trees which have no relation to anything in this historic district. If lighting is an issue that must be addressed at this location, HDC urges the applicant to work with staff to find another way.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 096148
Manhattan, Block: 1305, Lot: 1
109 East 50th Street - Individual Landmark Historic District
A Byzantine style church designed by Bertram Goodhue and built in 1914-1919. Application is to install a stair enclosure at the terrace.

HDC Testimony
While we understand the security issue at this location, HDC does not find this to be an appropriate solution. The enclosure would be visible from the street and clogs up the elegant terrace, an integral piece of this individual landmark. We ask instead that other, less intrusive options be investigated. For example, could a bulkhead door flush to the ground work here? Is this stair well and door absolutely necessary? Careful planning is required to both protect this special building and meet the security requirements of today. HDC urges that the plan be further thought out.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 088307
Manhattan, Block: 1168, Lot: 8
243 West 76th Street - West End Collegiate Historic District
An Eclectic style rowhouse with Queen Anne and Romanesque style details designed by William H. Boylan and built in 1889-1890. Application is to remove an altered stoop and create a window opening.

HDC Testimony
243 West 76th Street is an unusual case of a rowhouse that did not completely lose its stoop when the entrance was moved to the areaway. At a time when LPC and preservation advocates encourage the reintroduction of long lost stoops, allowing the demolition of one, even just pieces, would be counterproductive. HDC suggests that the stoop be restored, the relic be stabilized and cleaned up, or that reuse of the present configuration be found, such as a balcony, but removal of so much historic fabric on the front fa?ade of a landmarked building should not be an option. Instead a little creativity and appreciation for the Eclectic style of this rowhouse are called for here.

LPC Determination: Incomplete

Hearing Date: 2/17/2009
LPC Docket Number: 096388
Manhattan, Block: 1377, Lot: 15
690 Madison Avenue - Upper East Side Historic District
A neo-Grec style apartment building designed by J.H. Valentine and built in 1878-1879. Application is to install a new storefront, and alter the facade, create new window openings, and construct a rooftop addition.

HDC Testimony
Many boards were missing from this application at public review on Thursday, among them a proposed elevation of either the building or the rooftop addition, a materials board and any explanation of materials. From what boards we did have, HDC finds the general design of the storefront appropriate and has no problem with the rooftop addition based on the fact that it seems to be visible minimally visible. We had questions as to whether the street side wall was being stripped or repainted – the idea of stucco never came to mind. If the wall can take another coat of paint, that would be preferable to stucco. HDC does not find the addition of large windows at the corner of the building on the upper floors appropriate. Moving and adding windows seems like a lot of work, work that the building does not necessarily need.

LPC Determination: Approved w/mods

Hearing Date: 2/3/2009
LPC Docket Number: 093663
Brooklyn, Block: 326, Lot: 24
15 Tompkins Place - Cobble Hill Historic District
A Greek Revival style rowhouse built in the 1840s. Application is to construct a rear yard addition.

HDC Testimony
This is a special row within the Cobble Hill historic district, noted in the designation report for its "pleasing variety within a certain uniformity". This balance is reflected both on the buildings' street facades as well as their rears. While the rear of a building in any rowhouse district is important from a planning and development point of view, the composition of these buildings' rear yards was always an important aspect of their design, as evidenced by the large depth of the lot. These buildings were built before zoning or any codified concept of appropriate lot coverage, so why didn’t the designers take more advantage of their generous lots? It is obvious, from their design that the vast open space in the back of thee buildings was intentional and part of their original plan.

Therefore, the proposal to extend the back of the building by 7 on in some cases 10 feet violates the historic design principle of not only this house, but the whole row. By penetrating the rear open space in this way, this proposal is transforming this Cobble Hill Greek Revival row house into something it is not and it should not be allowed.

With regard to the actual design of the additions, the fenestration pattern is frankly too generic and bland for a building of this style. Historically, Greek Revival had much more interesting fenestration than what is being offered. Especially when compared to the new windows next door, these windows look rather corporate.
Finally, the staircase bulkhead is obviously visible, and placing it atop the tallest building in a row will only make it stand out more.

LPC Determination: Approved

Hearing Date: 2/3/2009
LPC Docket Number: 092948
Manhattan, Block: 520, Lot: 85
5 King Street - Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District
An Anglo-Italianate style apartment building built in 1846. Application is to alter the fa?ade, install a new storefront, and install a barrier-free access ramp.

HDC Testimony
While HDC does not have any major issues with the majority of this application, we were concerned about the three new window openings on the southern end of the fa?ade. They seem discordant to the new openings to the north, and we would strongly recommend that they be rethought to better fit with those openings.

LPC Determination: Approved

 

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