Midwood Park & Fiske Terrace Hearing Scheduled
From Flatbush Life
06/14/2007
A landmark day for two – Nabes move closer to special historic designation
By Helen Klein
Residents of the two neighborhoods, part of Victorian Flatbush, received letters earlier this month from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), announcing that a hearing on the designation of the two adjoining communities as a landmark district would be held on October 16th.
Previously, on September 19, 2006, LPC had voted to calendar the designation, which LPC Chairperson Robert Tierney called, “The first step in the designation process” in the May 30th letter sent out to those who live within the boundary of the proposed historic district.
Preservationists expressed delight at the news that LPC is moving forward with possible designation of the two gracious cul-de-sac neighborhoods, which sit at the southern end of Victorian Flatbush, hemmed in, on one side, by the Long Island Railroad cut and, on another, by the Brighton line.
“We are very excited that the Landmarks Commission has taken this step,” said Simeon Bankoff, the executive director of the Historic Districts Council (HDC). “We are greatly looking forward to testifying in support of this worthy designation. It’s been a long time in coming.”
In addition, Bankoff noted, “We are really pleased that Landmarks has made the commitment so far in advance so the community really has a chance to embrace the idea and participate in the process.”
“I think it’s imperative that LPC landmark these two beautiful turn-of-the-century communities,” said Brooklyn Borough Historian Ron Schweiger. “They deserve to be landmarked because these are beautifully-kept homes, on beautiful, tree-lined streets, that are over 100 years old. Also, there are unscrupulous developers that are starting to encroach into the area. We want to prevent them from coming into or near the area, though they already have come into Ditmas Park West.”
Fred Baer, a former president of the Fiske Terrace Association, said that the association was, “Looking forward to going to the hearing. This is an important step toward getting the neighborhood designated as a historic district and we are very happy that LPC has given us a date to come down and testify.
“I know there’s a lot of support” for landmarking, Baer added. “We’ve seen it. We had a meeting two years ago with LPC and it was clear that there was tremendous support in the neighborhood for becoming a historic district. I believe that’s still the case.”
The Fiske Terrace-Midwood Park historic district being considered by LPC would include approximately 250 houses, most built between 1904 and 1920 by the architects Theodore Ackerson and John Corbin.
LPC’s assessment brief for the neighborhoods notes, “The predominantly Colonial Revival and Shingle Style houses are largely intact, asymmetrically massed and feature spacious porches, elaborate projecting towers, oriels and bays, Palladian windows and deep eaves. The neighborhood also has an unusual street plan that includes landscaped malls and short streets that dead-end at the BMT subway cut.”
The hearing is an opportunity for public comment, both pro and con, on the possible designation.
LPC’s designation is only the first part of the process, though clearly the most significant hurdle that a building or neighborhood has to clear. Once a designation has been made by LPC, it must still be affirmed. Thus, it is passed on to the Department of City Planning for review, which can take up to 60 days, and then on to the City Council, which has 120 days to act on the designation.
Some of the protections afforded by landmark status begin when a building or area is calendared. As Tierney noted in his letter to Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park residents, “Once a building has been calendared, it is marked with a ‘C’ in the Department of Buildings (DOB) database.” This ensures that any work that requires a DOB permit will also be reviewed by LPC before the permit is issued.
Fiske Terrace runs from the subway line to Ocean Avenue, between Avenue H and Glenwood Road. Midwood Park is right next door, and is bordered by the subway line on the west, Glenwood Road on the south, Ocean Avenue on the east and Foster Avenue on the north. The two neighborhoods were developed as suburban communities, providing “country in the city” living for middle class families.
©Courier-Life Publications 2007