At a recent public hearing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, a proposal was reviewed for substantial modifications to this understated row house: (1) a three story, full-width rear yard addition, (2) a rooftop addition, and (3) the excavation of the rear yard to accommodate an indoor/outdoor pool.
While the latter of the proposals elements–the pool–seems to be attracting the most press mentions, it is the cumulative impact of all these proposed interventions to a historic row house that is most concerning to LANDMARK WEST! At the LPC public hearing on July 19th, we presented a statement that relates our position on excessive bulk, contemporary design in historic districts, the value of historic rear yards, and more. For our full statement, click here.
And just this afternoon, LW!’s Director of Preservation, Cristiana Peña, met with a news team from Fox 5 News, along with oft-quoted neighbor of No. 51, Jonathan Stuart. Photos of the taping are below.
Tune in to Fox 5 News at approximately 6:15PM to watch the piece air. Then, tell us what you think! Use the “Comments” link below to weigh in on what responsible landmark stewardship means to you!
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| LW’s Cristiana Peña, far right, speaks with Fox 5 News in front of 51 West 83rd Street. |
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| Cristiana touches upon issues of overall bulk, design appropriateness and the importance of protecting historic row house rear yards. |
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| Jonathan Stuart speaks to the impact of the proposed modifications to neighbors. |
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| Jonathan Stuart shows the Fox 5 News team the rear yard environment of the West 83rd/West 84th Street yards. |