HDC@LPC Testimony for November 14, 2023

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TESTIMONY

LPC-21-05596
1197 Clove Road – John King Vanderbilt House Individual Landmark

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS

A Greek Revival style residence built c. 1836. Application is to construct new buildings
situated on the landmark site.

Architect: Victorio Associates Architect

HDC supports Staten Island Community Board 1’s position that the John King Vanderbilt House should be restored before any new work proceeds on this landmarked property.

Regarding that new work, we find the massing to be generally appropriate, but we have concerns with the siting in relation to the landmark. Further, we believe that the proposed design lacks detail. We believe the applicant should look to the landmarked house as precedent. 

We ask the Commission to take no action on this proposal, and require the applicant to come back with a proposal to that takes this issues into consideration.

Action: Laid over, read into the record

LPC-23-11569
24 Middagh Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS

A Federal style house built in 1829. Application is to construct a rear yard addition, modify a window opening, paint shutters, replace a fence, and install a driveway and curb cut.

Architect: re-a.d

HDC finds this proposal to be largely appropriate and sensitively done.

That said, there are several details we would like to comment on. We believe the applicant could work with staff to reduce the scale of the gate along Willow street, and to reduce the amount of the glass on the rear yard addition, where the applicant proposes seven windows. 

On the proposed addition, we favor a higher proportion of wood to glass, and believe eliminating the two very slim windows on either side of the composition, while raising the sill heights of the five remaining windows, would be more appropriate.

Action: Approved with modification that the applicant will work with staff to do investigation on the stair window. If original, keep, and therefore restudy the roof height. Work with staff on the height of the gate, and the color of the shutters.

LPC-23-11767
340 Malcolm X Boulevard, aka 340-344 Malcolm X Boulevard and 188-202 Bainbridge Street – Bedford-Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS

A commercial building designed by Tobias Goldstone and built in 1921, and a store and flats building designed by Morris Rothstein and built in c. 1923, both reclad and modified post 1980 as a church; and an empty lot. Application is to demolish the existing buildings and construct a new building.

Architect: Z Architecture

HDC sees this new building as a positive example of appropriate and contextual massing, but we find the Deco-inspired glass corner to be insubstantial and unrelated to the rest of the composition.

We also find the brick detailing of the facade to be unconsidered. We believe the applicants should study examples of neighboring 19th century brickwork to develop a more convincing approach to these details. 

Action: No action, refine fenestration, color materials, balance of the balconies and treatment of the ground floor of the corner building. 

LPC-23-07645
137-141 Duane Street, aka 62-66 Thomas Street – Tribeca East Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
A Gothic Revival/Early 20th Century Commercial style store and loft building, altered from a combination of three 19th and early 20th century buildings by Joseph J. Furman in 1934-1935. Application is to legalize the removal of leaded glass transoms without Landmarks Preservation Commission permit(s).

We find this applicant’s removal of the leaded-glass transom without LPC permits to be inappropriate. We ask the Commission not to legalize this application.

Action: Unanimously approved subject to a mock up, and the stipulation that the applicant will work with staff on the framing

LPC-24-01563
17 Barrow Street – Greenwich Village Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
A late-Federal style rowhouse built in 1834. Application is to install a stoop gate, and
legalize alterations to the stoop and replacement of entrance infill without Landmarks
Preservation Commission permit(s).

HDC finds this altered door and enframement to be inappropriate. The stoop is also inappropriate and should be rebuilt using solid blocks of bluestone. 

Action: Unanimously approved with modification that the applicant will put the colonettes back on the door enframement, add bluestone to the side of the stoop and relate the stoop gate designs to the railings.

LPC-24-03323
10 West 17th Street – Ladies’ Mile Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
A vacant lot, formerly a mid-20th century commercial building designed by Belfatto &
Pavarini and built in 1961-63. Application is to construct a new building.

Architect: DXA studio

HDC finds this to be a very interesting addition to the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. 

We had reservations about some of the applicant’s precedent images, but we ultimately feel that this building’s alignment with its neighbor at the top, and its three story expression at the base, which is typical of buildings in this district, make this building an appropriate part of this district.

Action: Unanimously approved

LPC-24-03109
60 West 91st Street – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
A Romanesque Revival style rowhouse designed by Henry L. Harris and built in 1889-90. Application is to construct a rear addition.

Architect: William Leggio Architect

Because of the consistency of the rear yards on the rest of this block, HDC finds this proposed fourth floor addition to be an inappropriate violation of rear massing. 

Action: Unanimously approved