REPORT: Observations on the LPC from September & October 2006
One of HDC’s principal activities is the review of proposals to landmark buildings. Before every public hearing, we review the proposals with an expert panel of volunteers for appropriateness, and comment when we feel it’s necessary or helpful. Nadezhda Williams, HDC’s Preservation Associate, works with the Public Review Committee, drafts the testimony from their findings and represents HDC at the hearings. These are her some of her notes and observations from the past few months.For HDC’s testimony on any given hearing – check out http://www.hdc.org/testimony.htm
Fall at LPC – September & October 2006 by Nadezhda Williams
The LPC held five Public Hearings in September and October. HDC’s Public Review Committee reviewed 96 proposals and testified on 64 of them. A number of buildings throughout the city have become landmarks or are taking steps towards that goal, and two new historic districts are in the works. The next matter, once something is designated, is making sure it remains safe. I am happy to report LPC held up its stance of preserving rear, top-floor fenestrations on row and town houses as well as the position of keeping rooftop additions to one story. There were, though, a disturbing number of aluminum windows applied for (even more disturbing is the number of aluminum windows approved.) And, of course, 980 Madison…
September 7th
Public Meeting
The George B. and Susan Elkins House at 1375 Dean Street, Crown Heights North was calendared, and a hearing was held for the Van Kearney and Van Tassel Horse Auction Mart on East 13th Street.
September 12th
Public Hearing
There were two proposals to replace wood windows with aluminum windows were approved with little discussion from the Commissioners at this hearing. The aluminum windows are bulkier and have less glazing, changing the look of the historic buildings. In the case of 4-8 and 10-20 Astor Place where there will be over 100 windows changed, the negative impact will be large.
Docket Number 06-7807
4-8, 10-20 Astor Place – NoHo Historic District
Aluminum windows approved.
DN 06-0648
167 West 80th Street – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
Aluminum windows approved.
DN 05-7200
275 Central Park West – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
Commissioners thought the aluminum windows proposed to replace steel windows in this application were too bulky and needed to be reworked. They did not reject the use of aluminum windows, just this style.
September 19th
Public Meeting
The public hearing for Crown Heights North was standing room only. In general, speakers, including many residents, the Crown Heights North Association, Municipal Arts Society, the New York City Landmarks Conservancy, Andrew Dolkart, and, of course, HDC, were in favor of the proposed district. Those residents speaking against the designation primarily claimed that they did not know about this matter until recently and wanted to learn more about what it all means. (The LPC held another community meeting in the neighborhood to address their concerns.) The commission calendared another possible historic district in Brooklyn, Midwood Park-Fiske Terrace.
September 26th
Public Hearing
George B. and Susan Elkins House at 1375 Dean Street in Crown Heights North was heard. A demolition permit had been applied for on this c.1850 wood-framed home. Three more sites (all in the far West Village), Edwin L.B. Brooks House at 354 West 11th Street, the Henry Wyckoff House at 159 Charles Street, and the Keller Hotel at 150 Barrow Street, were calendared.
DN 07-1080
828 Fifth Avenue –Upper East Side Historic District
More aluminum windows were approved, this time for a neo-Venetian Renaissance style residence designed by N.C. Mellen and built in 1896.
October 10th
Public Hearing
A hearing was calendared to include First Avenue Estates in the City and Suburban Homes Company Individual Landmark. Chairman Tierney remarked that there was “a lot of interest in this property,” Roberta Brandes Gratz commented that it was time to “correct a mistake”. Tierney added there was “plenty of time to discuss in the future.”
DN 06-8752
641 6th Avenue – Ladies’ Mile Historic District
The application was for 7 ½ foot tall banners when the PR committee reviewed it a few days before. By the time of the Public Hearing it was worse – “bracket signs” of the same size. Such huge signs on the 1900-1902 Beaux-Arts department store by William H. Hume & Son were rejected. The applicants will work with staff on more traditional 2’x3’ bracket signs.
October 15th
Public Meeting
Horn &Hardart Automat-Cafeteria Building at Broadway and West 104th Street, first heard on June 27th, had another hearing scheduled for this day. It was postponed, though, until December 12th.
The Mason Stables and the New York Cab Company Stables, both on Amsterdam Avenue in the 70’s, were heard. There was overwhelming support for the two buildings, but demolition work (removal of windows and part of the cornice) had already begun on the Mason Stables.
October 24th
Public Hearing
Oh what a day, 10 hours of public hearing.
George B. and Susan Elkins House, 1375 Dean Street in Crown Heights North, Brooklyn was designated an individual landmark. The owner tried the “Oh, there’s nothing real left, nothing is historic about this place” routine as other owners have in the past (and succeeded most recently in the case of 150 Taylor Street, State Island this summer). His lawyer also argued that this second public hearing was held on short notice and had not been properly advertised (150 Taylor Street had also complained about lack of communication from the commission.) Despite these tactics, the commissioners unanimously approved the designation.
DN 07-1502
980 Madison, Upper East Side Historic District
We all know the tale of Lord Foster’s proposed glass tower. Nearly 4 hours of presentations and testimony from dozens of people on both sides. At the end Commissioner Tierney announced that someone else would be the last to testify. When I inquired about my turn, Mark Silberman, LPC Counsel, said that as Simeon Bankoff had already spoke for the HDC and I could not. (Simeon was also stopped from reading a letter by Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights association, although letters had been read earlier in the hearing.) I explained that Simeon addressed Item 10 (74-711) while I was addressing Item 9 (the proposed construction) and was begrudgingly allowed to speak. The public record was to stay open for two weeks.
October 31st
A mixed public hearing/meeting
Another long meeting extending into Halloween evening…
70 Lefferts Place in Brooklyn was calendared. Commissioners praised the “fine piece of architecture” and a wonderful addition to the story of New York City. Let’s hope they act fast while it still stands – a developer has plans to demolish it and put up a 7-story condominium.
DN 05-5155
20 Henry Street, Brooklyn Heights Historic District
This application to build a new building in a garden courtyard was first presented in March 2005 and seven tries later it was approved. By the time of this public meeting, it had been reduced in size and a trellis and other green elements had been added. Of the two commissioners who were always against the project, Roberta Gratz was not present, and Libby Ryan voted in opposition.
DN 07-1803
460 Brielle Avenue, NYC Farm Colony-Seaview Hospital
Exciting (good) things are finally happening at Seaview! The application was for changes in the landscape, new window and door openings
. The exterior looks wonderful, and the applicant reassured the public that the terra cotta fireplaces in the interior would be restored and preserved. HDC testified that there was too much asphalt cutting away at the landscape that was so integral to the original patients’ treatment at the historic site. The commissioners agreed and asked that this matter be worked on. As a number of commissioners said, we hope this is the first of many restorations and reuses in this fascinating district.
DN 07-1892
45 West 10th Street, Greenwich Village Historic District
HDC’s was the only testimony to speak up for this 1959 apartment building. The applicants had proposed to remove the scalloped aluminum awning and other pieces of the entry way and replace them with a very non-descript design. While not everyone’s favorite style, the public review committee felt that the historic fabric and design of this structure should be taken just as seriously as a building 50 years older. I thought it was an important, if hopeless, battle. Much to my surprise, commissioners agreed with HDC’s testimony and even used our own wording, such as “quirky”, in their comments. In particular, Chris Moore stated the applicant should “quirk it up”
DN 06-8256
771 St. Nicholas Avenue – Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Historic District
The proposed rear yard addition was only on the basement and 1st floor, but boy was it big. It stretched almost completely through the back yard, leaving only a few feet in the rear, and breaking off two neighboring yards from the rest of the block’s well-preserved garden core. Neighbors were not happy with process (it had not been presented to the full Community Board) or the quality of the application. In the end, the Commission agreed that the application was incomplete and the RYA too long.