When 70 Lefferts Place was “calendared” by the Landmarks Preservation Commission on October 31, the property received only a 40-day stay on its execution rather than an indefinite one, according to the Park Slope Courier (which apparently doesn’t like citing online publications as news-breaking sources). “At the end of the 40-day period,” said DOB spokesperson Tori Edmiston, “if no response is received from the LPC, the application review and approval process will continue. Nor does it assure that the house will ultimately receive landmark certification, as was the case recently with two wood-frame houses in Staten Island that LPC decided were too far gone to merit landmarking. I’m very hopeful that we can preserve this house, said Letitia James who is increasingly building her stature within the preservationist community for championing this house and others. Simeon Bankoff, the executive director of the Historic Districts Council, put the urgency of the situation in context by saying that, “In my mind, this is a house with a death sentence on it. Interestingly, the Lefferts Place Civic Association says it is exploring ways to help the developer get out of the situation without losing his shirt if the landmarking effort is successful. It would be interesting to hear some of those ideas.
This Old House – Safe For Now [PS Courier]
Progress for 70 Lefferts Place Preservationists [Brownstoner]