Tuesday, March 4, 2008

LPC to vote on UES crap

Landmarks Panel May End East Side Clash
By PETER KIEFER
Staff Reporter of the Sun

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission may end a months-long clash that has pitted residents and preservationists against a developer seeking to erect a 14-story apartment tower in the Upper East Side Historic District.

At a meeting today, the commission is scheduled to vote on Friedland Properties' plan to tear down a two-story structure that currently houses a number of businesses, including a hair salon and the Parisian bistro La Goulue, at Madison Avenue near 72nd Street, to make room for luxury condominiums.

The proposal has outraged local resident groups, which say its height and density would dilute Madison Avenue's unique character. Last month, dozens of residents and preservationists turned out at a public hearing to testify against the plan.

According to the executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, Seri Worden, the proposal to tear down the structure is a nonstarter.

"Tearing down what is a contributing building in a historic district is inappropriate and sets a terrible precedent for other historic districts," she said.

The building was constructed in 1885 by the synagogue of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, which sold it in 1910. It then went through several makeovers before assuming its present two-story, neo-Georgian form in 1938.

Ms. Worden said she expects a strong turnout at today's meeting, at which the 11-member landmarks commission will likely discuss the proposal and the pubic comments. The panel can then vote to reject the proposal, propose modifications, or approve it outright.

"We think the size and the design is simply at odds with the location. There is nothing really like this building in the area," Ms. Worden said. The developer and the architect for the project, Page Ayres Cowley, declined to comment.


Hopefully, LPC will vote in favor of the plan. When the Upper East Side starts looking like Corona, then we'll have equal protection under the law. It's only fair.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's in Manhattan and only 2 stories? Well this simply will not do. We have a million people coming by 2030. We need that 14 story building and I hope the LPC votes yes.

Anonymous said...

Historic districts should absorb their share of the million people, I agree.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, stop pushing the unwanted onto the rest of the neighborhoods in NYC.

Anonymous said...

I hope every architect that goes before LPC uses the million more people mantra. How could they say no to that?

Anonymous said...

The landmarks law is useless.

We need a new law with teeth.

But then, again, the developers started to nibble at this city in the outer bs before Manhattan, and our good colleagues in Manhattan acted as if they saw nothing.

Now the chickens have come home to roost.

Anonymous said...

I bet HDC turns out in force for this.

Anonymous said...

Why? Because the money events are the ones they charge $10,000 a table for. People from Queens aren't buying those tables.

Anonymous said...

Mainline preservation groups and machine pols have a lot in common.

Anonymous said...

If the mayor wants a million more people by 2030, he should pay to create an artificial Sixth Borough off our coast. Like Battery Park City, it can have generic box apartments, chain stores, and a Starbucks on every corner.

David M. Quintana said...

I can understand the comments from Queens folks thinking this should be approved - and I agree that Manhattan shouldn't be treated any differently - but I think the preservation community has to stick together and the laws must be changed to make it more equitable to the outer boroughs...But in my mind, two wrongs don't make a right..!

Anonymous said...

but I think the preservation community has to stick together and the laws must be changed to make it more equitable to the outer boroughs...But in my mind, two wrongs don't make a right..!
----------

There is nothing in it for the outer boroughs to 'stick together' and everything for us to upset the apple cart.

You need more than change in law - you need a change in attitude.

Anonymous said...

but I think the preservation community has to stick together


Absolutely correct!! They should start to talk about the raw deal the outer boroughs gets - the double standard - how the chips are stacked against the preservation community outside Manhattan - contrast and compare St Savoiurs and Cornell Farm.

Yea, you get my drift.

Anonymous said...

A suggestion for the developer....
move the synagogue to Maspeth
where it can be determined,
by the double talking LPC , not to meet
their criteria, and ask the local councilman
to help tear it down!

But, alas, and excuse me,
this is after all the ...uh...UPPER EAST SIDE.

Way up here in fairy tale land,
the LPC dares not step on anyone's toes.

It will be saved.
And if not.....you privileged Manhattanites
will simply have to learn to swim
in the same dirty waters as Queensites
have been doing for decades!

Anonymous said...

HDC?

Do you mean the "Historic Demolition Council"?
That's the way a lot of Queens folks see 'em ?

Show up,
make a speech and then complain
that we're too vocal in criticizing them
for not doing their best for our borough.

From their viewpoint,
Manhattan is a Mercedes and Queens just a Chevy!

Maybe it's time for a tune up....yours.... HDC!