Historic Preservation strikes again! On Tuesday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission saved 111 Nobel Street from demolition. The wood-frame structure dates from the 1850s and sits well within the bounds of the Greenpoint Historic District. Given the area designation, developers needed to clear any plans for renovation or redevelopment with the Commission.
Roei Paz, who owns the building, first appeared in front of the commission in September. He argued that the building was structurally unsound and therefore needed to be razed. Accordingly, he teamed up with the architect Ralf Mayer, of MDIM design, to present plans to demolish the building and replace it with a modern apartment building. At that time, the Commission held that the house didn’t need to be demolished, and sent Paz and Mayer back to the drawing board.
On Tuesday, Paz returned with plans to renovate the building in keeping with the historic nature of the district. The Commission approved his proposal. Under the approved plan, the building will regain some of its original features. For example, the design will recreate the home’s original roofline, the facade will be covered in painted wood clapboard, the brick porch will be removed and replaced with wooden columns, and a metal fence that stood outside the home will be recreated.
But, the structure will not be perfectly preserved. The plan also calls for changes and additions to the property. Namely, the plan will add a third floor and a penthouse to the existing structure, and an expansion will be built on the back of the house.
BK CB1 voted unanimously to support the Landmarks Subcommittee’s recommendation to disapprove this “revised” plan that does NOT preserve the original design of the house. Awful. This LPC is so pro-developer.
I see no remnant of the original structure which has been vinyl clad with an ugly porch attached. The compromise merely serves to satisfy the tastes of the nouveau riche who buy these houses by supplying a little ” Old Brooklyn Brownstone” feel. Sorry, but both the preservation effort and the developers intentions here collectively merit a shrug.
I was at the meeting, and LPC acted ILLEGALLY in that the schedule was stated as being BOTH a Public “Hearing” and a Public “Meeting”. I filled out the required form to speak, handed it to a commissioner, then was later quietly told it was only to be a “Hearing” and that we would not be allowed to speak. THIS IS A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING and the LPC has just fired a very destructive blow to HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
THERE GOES THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD !!!
This block has 4 buildings currently under renovation, this makes 6. 3 dumpsters across from each other mid block currently, what a time to be alive, right?