Item 40
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
133914- Block 1406, lot 11-
123 East 71st Street – Upper East Side Historic District
An Italianate style residence built c. 1865, and heavily altered in 1904 by Thomas Nash. Application is to construct a rooftop addition.
HDC feels adding a mansard roof with dormers is certainly appropriate for 123 East 71st Street, but we find the proposed design too grand for this building. The design seen in the tax photo on the sister buildings to the east (and still present at 125 and 129) would be a better fit. Also, if a mansard is to be added, it would be nice to see a return of the cornice too.
LPC determination: no action
Item 27
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
134979- Block 392, lot 10-
605-615 East 9th Street, aka 350-360 East 10th Street – (Former) Public School 64, Individual Landmark
A French Renaissance revival style school building designed by C.B.J. Snyder and built in 1904-06. Application is to replace windows.
The former PS 64 is a classic C.B.J. Snyder school, and, considering the importance of light and air in Snyder’s innovative designs, the windows are a key feature. As the Landmarks Commission is well aware, the long campaign to save this building catalyzed community preservation efforts in the East Village – it was truly this neighborhood’s Pennsylvania Station and an enormous amount of community and municipal resources went into saving this building. While it was stripped of much of its original design features during the long fight for its survival, the wood windows remained, their existence now all more important. This is truly an instance where the highest level of preservation must be enforced, if only to respect the long journey we all took to preserve this building. We do not want to be standing in front of this landmark 15 years from now, explaining that it was important to save this historic structure but be unable to explain what exactly was saved. HDC asks that every effort be made to save those windows that can be repaired and to replicate the others in wood.
LPC determination: approved with modifications
Item 32
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
135325- Block 719, lot 13-
449 West 21st Street – Chelsea Historic District
An Italianate style rowhouse built in 1856-57. Application is to construct a rooftop and rear yard additions.
While HDC approves of the rooftop addition, we do feel the proposed rear yard addition should be modified. The rear façade of 449 West 21st Street is part of a fairly intact row that is quite visible from Clement Clarke Moore Park. HDC asks that the rear yard addition be limited to one story plus basement as others here are.
LPC determination: approved with modifications
Item 8
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Brooklyn
135741- Block 270, lot 7-
167 State Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District
An Anglo-Italianate style house built in 1861-79. Application is to enlarge a rear yard addition.
Rather than projecting 27 feet into the garden core, HDC asks that the area next to the el-extension be filled in to meet the applicant’s desired space needs.
LPC determination: approved
Item 13
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Brooklyn
136010- Block 1102, lot 12-
1402 8th Avenue – Fourteenth Regiment Armory, Individual Landmark
A Castellated style armory building built in 1891-95 designed by William A. Mundell. Application is to install new doors, signage, and flagpoles.
Although we are not usually favorable on the subject of new flagpoles, HDC finds the addition of them appropriate here on such a massive building whose style and history lends itself to flags. The work of two flags flanking the entrance could also be done though by just one over the center of the arch.
The clunky, bronze pin letters around the arch are not as appropriate. Considering the narrowness of this street, the lettering on the arch would not really be legible until one is already at the entrance. With the new flags (and most likely sandwich board signage that is often used at YMCA’s and other community facilities), these letters are not necessary. We would prefer to see painted signage in the transom windows above the doors instead, or, at the very least, the proposed letters could be scaled down.
LPC determination: approved with modifications
Item 38
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
136515- Block 1382, lot 10,11-
11 & 13 East 67th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A neo-French Classic style dwelling designed by Foster & Gade and built in 1913 and a English neo-Classical style designed by Harry Allan Jacobs and built in 1920-21. Application is to combine the buildings, reconstruct rooftop and rear yard additions, rear extensions and rear facades, excavate the cellars, install new areaways ironwork and modify an opening.
While a lot of work is being proposed for 11 and 13 East 67th Street, HDC finds most of it to be appropriate. We do though ask that more of an attempt be made on the rear façade to retain the individual history and nature of these two houses as the commission has required in other cases where two house were being combined.
LPC determination: approved
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
136695- Block 1773, lot 62-
120 East 125th Street – Fire Hook & Ladder Co. No. 14, Individual Landmark
A Romanesque Revival style fire house designed by Napolean LeBrun & Sons and built in 1888-89. Application is to alter ground floor openings, install new ground floor infill, signage, light fixtures, wall murals and rooftop mechanicals equipment.
Napolean LeBrun & Sons’ Fire Hook & Ladder Co. No. 14 is a significant building along one of the city’s most significant streets, and we are happy to see it find a new life as a significant cultural center. While a nice restoration is proposed for the roof and upper floors, HDC feels more attention should be paid to the historic character of the ground floor using the tax photo and existing material as guides. Rather than create just a large expanse of glass on the ground floor, the glass infill could be pushed back to allow for the retention of the existing doors or the installation of new ones. This would allow the cultural center to keep the former garage doors open and interact with the street during hours of operation and the option to shut the doors when it is closed. This approach has been taken at other landmarks including the Van Tassell & Kearney Auction Mart on East 13th Street, now the Peridance Capezio Center, and HDC feels it should be explored for this individual landmark also.
LPC determination: no action
Item 39
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
136757- Block 1382, lot 48-
34 East 68th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A neo-Grec style rowhouse designed by R.W. Buckley and built in 1879. Application is to reconstruct the front and rear facades, and construct a rooftop addition.
HDC approves of the proposed rooftop addition, but we feel that much of the rest of this project would change the nature of this rowhouse.
The Upper East Side Historic District designation report notes that this block of 68th Street was developed by 1879 and points to No. 34 as “indicative of the appearance of the street soon after the initial phase of construction.” While all of the neighboring neo-Grec brownstones of the same era were demolished or remodeled beyond recognition over the decades, the designation report states that No. 34, even despite the loss of its stoop, “retains most of its architectural integrity.”
Recreating the façade in limestone feels like a neither-here-nor-there scheme. Is this an 1870’s neo-Grec rowhouse in an unusual material? Or an early-20th century limestone townhouse with out-of-date neo-Grec features? Much money and effort is being put into this house’s total renovation. HDC asks that more of it be put towards restoring the character of the last of the originals on this block.
LPC determination: no action
Item 36
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
BOROUGH OF Manhattan
136969- Block 1218, lot 149-
152 West 88th Street – Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District
A Renaissance Revival style rowhouse designed by Neville & Bagge and built in 1893. Application is to construct rooftop and rear yard additions and replace windows.
HDC finds the proposed rooftop addition too large to be considered appropriate. Even if it is minimally visible, the construction would be a significant change to this rowhouse, especially when combined with the proposed rear yard addition. We also find that the rear façade looks like a rather fussy front façade, and ask that it be simplified and the top floor fenestration retained.
LPC determination: no action
