Item 3
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF QUEENS
157412- Block 8020, lot 6-
10 Richmond Road – Douglaston Historic District
A Colonial Revival style house built in 1966. Application is to legalize repaving the driveway, sidewalk, and gutter, enlarging and repaving the front walkway, rebuilding the entrance steps, and rebuilding the driveway retaining wall without permits.
Landscaping, such as the driveway, retaining wall, entrance walkway and steps are specifically called out as notable features in the designation report for this property. In the Douglaston Historic District, where freestanding houses dominate, these elements are especially prominent. HDC laments the destruction of these features and the precedent that this type of work may set, and is confused that the DOT allowed this work to be completed without LPC permits. Concerning the removal of historic cobblestone street gutters, HDC would like to mention that just this past May, the Commission denied an application at 105 Grosvenor Street to remove street gutters. These gutters once ran east to west along all the streets in Douglas Manor to facilitate water run-off. The few remaining ones still serve their intended function, preventing large puddles and standing water from accumulating in the neighborhood. At 10 Richmond Road, the gutter has been repaved in Belgian block, but raised flush with the pavement. At the very least, HDC asks that a more appropriate treatment of the gutter be constructed here.
LAID OVER
Item 4
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
157494- Block 2382, lot 3-
2 Fillmore Place – Fillmore Place Historic District
A vacant lot. Application is to construct a new building.
When the Fillmore Place Historic District was designated back in 2009, HDC was delighted that this small, but historically intact, section of Williamsburg would be protected from the rapid change the neighborhood has experienced in the past decade. While HDC finds the height and bulk of the proposed new building at 2 Fillmore Place to be reasonable, we could not help but notice that the building seems to better reflect the buildings being constructed elsewhere in Williamsburg, rather than the context of the historic district. There is no precedent in the district for the use of clear finished wood, and the high quantity of glass is incongruous with the rest of the block. This proposal seems to be a missed opportunity to work within the district’s existing palette, which is predominantly masonry with elegant storefronts. HDC asks that extra care be taken with proposals in the Fillmore Place Historic District, which provides a crucial glimpse into the history of this part of Brooklyn.
LPC determination: No Action
Item 9
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
158123- Block 248, lot 15-
98 Montague Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District
A Renaissance Revival style hotel built in 1909 and 1914. Application is to replace an entrance canopy at the Montague Street entrance.
HDC is thrilled that the stately Hotel Bossert is being restored, and does not object to the removal of the present entrance canopy. However, based on historic photographs of the building, a fabric canopy would be more appropriate and less of a permanent intervention than the one proposed here.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 10
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
155058- Block 324, lot 68-
146 Willow Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District
A neo-Grec style rowhouse built before 1900 and altered prior to 1940. Application is to install a stoop, new entry door and surround, replace windows, alter the rear faηade, and construct a rooftop addition.
HDC commends the applicant on a very sensitive restoration of this rowhouse to its original appearance. Our committee approves of the changes to the rear façade and the reasonable size and setback of the rooftop addition, and appreciates the quality of the materials chosen for the project, including brownstone cladding and wood entrance door and replacement windows. Given the attention to detail and quality, HDC’s only suggestion is that the applicant consider the use of a wood cornice, as fiberglass cornices often achieve a flatter, less authentic look.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 11
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
140356- Block 264, lot 25-
144 Clinton Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District
A store building built post-1900 and altered in the Moderne style c.1940. Application is to demolish the building and construct a new building incorporating salvaged elements.
HDC feels that the applicant did an excellent job of identifying other Art Moderne elements in the neighborhood, yet we feel that they have missed an opportunity to incorporate them into this project. The attempted glass corner windows reach too far into the facades of the building, reading more as a curtain wall than a referential Art Deco element. HDC laments the loss of the building’s ground floor, and finds the proposed amount of glazing along Aitken Place, as well as the floor-to-floor window openings dotting the building to be excessive and not contextual to the block or the Brooklyn Heights Historic District.
LPC determination: No Action
Item 13
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN
147989- Block 1234, lot 10-
816 Prospect Place – Crown Heights North II Historic District
A Renaissance Revival style flats building designed by Axel S. Hedman and built in 1901. Application is to modify windows, security cameras, and light fixtures, all installed without Landmarks Preservation Commission permit(s); and to legalize the installation of window security grilles, an intercom panel, and an areaway railing, without Landmarks Preservation Commission permit(s).
Many of the problems created here could have been avoided by consulting with LPC staff. Each accretion is stylistically and historically inappropriate and detracts from this otherwise handsome Renaissance Revival building. We urge the staff to work with the applicant to find a solution that meets both security needs and the aesthetic needs of the district.
LPC determination: Denied
Item 14
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
156223- Block 15, lot 22-
21 West Street – Individual Landmark
An Art Deco style office building designed by Starrett & Van Vleck and built in 1929-31. Application is to install a removable flood mitigation system.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy revealed the vulnerability of our historic buildings to flooding in Lower Manhattan. HDC is pleased that aesthetics were a priority in safeguarding this Individual Landmark from water infiltration, as the flood mitigation mounting system is unobtrusive in design. We appreciate that the flood panels are removable, and therefore not a permanent interruption to the base of this handsome Jazz Age skyscraper.
LPC determination: Approved
Item 15
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
148387- Block 180, lot 15-
15 Jay Street – TriBeCa West Historic District
A Romanesque Revival style store and loft building with neo-Grec style elements designed by D. & J. Jardine and built in 1887. Application is to install new storefront infill and construct a rooftop addition
HDC feels that double-hung windows are a residential element and do not belong on a store and loft building. In the case that operable windows are desired in this space, the Committee suggests creating operable transoms on this former storefront. We also find the bulkhead too visible from many vantage points, and recommend incorporating a hydraulic elevator to try to reduce this bulk on the roof.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 16
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
152081- Block 474, lot 7506-
40 Mercer Street – SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District
A steel-and-glass building designed by Atelier Jean Nouvel and built in c. 2006. Application is to alter granite sidewalk.
HDC commends the applicant for their sensitive, creative solution to this sidewalk renovation. Elements like granite sidewalks retain the luster characteristic of historic districts, and we would like to see this trend followed when making repairs to historic paving.
LAID OVER
Item 17
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
151397- Block 530, lot 24-
35 Great Jones Street – NoHo Extension Historic District
A Romanesque Revival style store and loft building designed by Cleverdon & Putzel and built in 1893-94. Application is to legalize sidewalk work completed in non-compliance with Landmarks Preservation Commission permits.
HDC does not find concrete poured over historic vault lights to be acceptable work as it removes visible historic fabric from the district. We ask the Commission to deny the proposal and to instruct the applicant to restore, repair or replace the vault lights that contribute so much to the character of the historic building and the district.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 19
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
158323- Block 531, lot 20-
383 Lafayette Street – NoHo Historic District
A simplified neo-Classical style store and loft building designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag and built in 1913; and a parking lot with a concrete-block wall. Application is to replace storefront infill, reconstruct the facades, install an entrance canopy, install rooftop mechanical equipment and bulkheads and construct a new building on the vacant lot.
383 Lafayette Street’s aesthetics rely heavily in its simple, yet elegant, massing. Its four bays of grouped fenestration, brick piers, and brick banding are specifically called out in its designation report. For this reason, HDC asks that the rusticated piers remain on the ground floor of this building. Without them, the facades above the ground floor appear to awkwardly float.
Regarding the new construction, HDC finds the design and rhythm a sympathetic neighbor to the historic building. That said, we discourage the use of GFRC as proposed for the sun screen, and suggest that a higher quality material more fitting to the district such as terra cotta be used on this otherwise commendable marriage of old and new design.
The presence of a canopy orients pedestrians to the building’s presence on the street, rendering the signage flags superfluous and HDC asks that the canopy be designed to draw less attention to itself. Additionally, we would applaud smaller-scaled rooftop bulk.
LPC determination: No Action
Item 21
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
153825- Block 609, lot 7501-
147 West 13th Street – Greenwich Village Historic District
A Greek Revival style rowhouse designed by John Hanrahan and built in 1847-48. Application is to excavate the areaway, alter the front faηade, enlarge an existing rear yard addition, and construct a garden shed.
HDC commends the applicant on their choice to replace the windows to match the 1940s tax photograph. In keeping with this historically sensitive mindset, we ask that the areaway be restored to a rusticated stone appearance, as described in its designation report. Further, for the amount of excavation imposed on this building, we ask for clarification as to the appearance and the purpose of the rear shed-like structure.
LPC determination: Approved
Item 23
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
156175- Block 575, lot 3-
470 Sixth Avenue – Greenwich Village Historic District
A vernacular style house built in 1844. Application is to modify storefront infill installed in non-compliance with Certificate of Appropriateness.
As described in its designation report, “Little houses like this…retain the homogenous scale and use of materials of the best of the village.” To this end, HDC asks that this storefront be configured to conform to what the previously approved Certificate of Appropriateness called for in the master plan in this row of buildings. It was unclear to the Committee why this storefront is composed entirely of doors. We ask simply that a store front be put back into this storefront.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 24
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
153481- Block 825, lot 17-
43 West 23rd Street aka 24-28 West 24th Street – Ladies’ Mile Historic District
A neo-Renaissance style store building designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and builtin 1893-94. Application is to replace the entrance infill.
HDC commends the sensitive approach taken in this project to install a revolving door, including matching the wood finishes, brass details and wood and glass kickplates of the double doors and preserving the historic portico. HDC would like to clarify, though, that the new revolving and swing doors will be aligned and uniform in their height. The photo rendering shows a difference in height between the two, whereas the drawing shows them lined up.
LPC determination: Approved
Item 25
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
156906- Block 1196, lot 29-
225 Central Park West – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
A neo-Renaissance style apartment hotel building designed by Emery Roth and built in 1925-26. Application is to establish a master plan governing the future installation of windows
225 Central Park West, also known as Hotel Alden, is one of Emery Roth’s more austere compositions along Central Park West. Larger buildings like this one rely on their fenestration pattern as a significant design component. Hotel Alden historically had a six-over-one window arrangement on portions of its primary façade. HDC asks that in the creation of a master plan, more historic research is needed to inform the design of all future windows.
LPC determination: Approved with modifications
Item 27
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN
148148- Block 1212, lot 18-
141 West 81st Street – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
A Romanesque Revival style rowhouse with Queen Anne style elements designed by Rossiter & Wright and built in 1886-87. Application is to construct rooftop and rear yard additions.
This row of houses is entirely intact—both on the front and rear façades, a rare find—and the proposed rear expansion will result in a significant loss of historic fabric and disrupt the rhythm of both facades. This row of four houses has an unusual rear façade pattern, including undulating half bays and a uniform fenestration pattern, not typically found on townhouses in this neighborhood and a feature worth preserving. Collectively, the rear yard and rooftop accretions demand too much from this diminutive house.
LPC determination: No Action
