Continued Opposition to 361 Central Park West Residential Conversion

Landmark West! wishes to comment on the application to the Board of Standards and Appeals for the conversion of the former First Church of Christ, Scientist (Carrère and Hastings, 1899-1903, an Individual Landmark designated in 1974) into a 39-unit residential building, requiring six waivers under the New York City Zoning Resolution and Multiple Dwelling Law.

Read our full submission to the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals here.

It Happened On East 6th Street ...

... IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE!

In her August 4, 2010, NY Times article, “Mr. Landlord, Tear Down That Penthouse”, Cara Buckley reports on the BSA-mandated demolition of additional stories constructed at 514-516 East 6th Street.  As Ms. Buckley explains, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) ruled that the Department of Buildings (DOB) exceeded its authority in issuing permits enabling the construction of penthouses that infringed upon laws governing safety in multiple dwellings.  The details are in the article (we hope you’ll give it a read!).  (Click here for West Side online news source DNA Info’s take)

This shines a new light on the ongoing saga of 12-14 West 68th Street.  As the DOB exceeded its authority in allowing construction on East 6th Street, it circumvented the authority of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in issuing permits on West 68th Street.  On 68th Street, however, the misinformation by the building owner to the DOB as to the landmark status of Nos. 12-14 adds a significant twist in the matter.  As Craig Karmin wrote in the Wall Street Journal on May 4, 2010, quoting a DOB spokesperson, “[l]icensed professionals are required to notify the department about a building's landmark status when submitting construction plans. It appears that did not happen in this case.”  The illegal rooftop addition plaguing 12-14 West 68th Street has twice been denied after-the-fact legalization by the LPC.  And now, the owner of 12-14 West 68th Street is suing the LPC and the DOB!  Click here to read the owner’s official filing with the Sate Supreme Court.

The illegal rooftop addition at 12-14 West 68^th Street must come down.  It happened in the East Village; it can happen on the Upper West Side!  As always, stay tuned!

Photo: NY Times.

Agency ruling: No sliver building for 86th Street

The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) ruled yesterday that in fact no, there will not be a sliver building rising at 330 West 86th Street anytime soon.  As reported in the West Side Independent, the BSA stops a 17-story building from being erected on a 20 foot-wide lot, tightly squeezed between two existing--and equally tall--apartment buildings.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is actively considering the boundaries for a proposed Historic District centering on West End Avenue.  Until this critical BSA ruling, the rowhouse residence at 330 West 86th Street (between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue) has been a hot-button site, threatened by demolition that would have opened the door for an inappropriate "sliver building" to rise in its wake.  The possibility of such destruction is symptomatic of the shocking lack of protection for this landmark-worthy neighborhood.

This is one for the "win" column, but the ultimate goal historic district designation for West End Avenue remains.  To find out more about how you can become involved, call LANDMARK WEST! at (212) 496-8110 or email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org.  Or visit the West End Preservation Society online.

PHOTO: Left, the existing rowhouse at 330 West 86th Street. Right, the proposed "sliver building."  Photo by West Side Independent.