HDC regularly reviews every public proposal affecting Individual Landmarks and buildings within Historic Districts in New York City, and when needed, we comment on them. Our testimony for the latest items to be presented at the Landmarks Preservation Commission is below.
On March 27th, the Commission will vote on whether to designate four Individual Landmarks (Richard Webber Harlem Packing House, Public School 109, Benjamin Franklin High School and the Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh). The Commission will also hold a hearing about proposed changes to the Rules. See our testimony about the Rules change here.
Item 3
295 Clinton Avenue – Clinton Hill Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #1921631
A neo-Gothic style apartment building designed by the Cohn Brothers and built in 1927. Application is to remove finials
The finial appears in both the historic photographs and the lovely historic sketch provided with this application. Since it is an original feature of this building and would be easily replaced in kind, HDC had a hard time understanding the rationale for removing it. It is such small details that give buildings like these their charm, and we ask that the Commission require that this one be restored.
Item 5
2 East 67th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #1920395
A neo-Italian Renaissance style apartment building designed by Rosario Candela and built in 1927-28. Application is to install a balcony and lighting.
Rosario Candela clearly placed these balconies at the ninth floor as an intentional point of interest. Inserting another one at a random location elsewhere on the building would be an oddity, especially with the addition of lighting to draw even more attention to it. HDC opposes such a gesture, as it would take attention away from the design intent of the ninth floor balconies and clutter the building unnecessarily.
Item 6
17 West 67th Street – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, Docket #1920028
A neo-Renaissance style apartment building with Romaneque style elements, designed by Gronenberg and Leuchtag, and built 1930-31. Application is to replace windows.
As we often do, HDC advocates for the original window material and configuration for this handsome apartment building on one of the finest blocks of the Upper West Side. Perhaps the building could consider a Master Plan to work its way back toward rolled steel casement windows, which are both readily available and value added in terms of longevity and aesthetic appropriateness.
