Forum Archive: Landmarks

I just pulled two doors off a Brownstone on a landmark area. The customer wanted the doors stripped, repaired, and repainted the same color and rehung. When we stripped them, we found the two most beautiful mahogany doors in need of minimal repair. The customer, who lives out of state, is now contemplating having us make the repairs and finish these in a clear coat, but we are not sure how to proceed with landmarks and what this will entail. Also, if we are taking the doors back to their original 1880′s appearance, will the process be any smoother?

Thanks all,

Steve

We just bought the garden level of a brownstone coop on a landmarked block in pslope. We’d like to permanently remove the ironwork on the two front windows as they block a lot of light. (Yes, we know the security issues of doing that.) One window has possibly original ironwork, the other has the bottom half with the top rebuilt to accept an airconditioner (which we will also remove). Can we just remove them or do we have to get permission from lpc?

Sorry if this has been covered

Hi Stoners!

I need to have my brownstone stoop repaired ptetty much the same way as this forum post states.

http://www.brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2011/04/stoop_and_fasca.php#comments

Would this require landmarks approval?

Seems like just a cement repair job but I’d like to avoid the neighborly 311 rat out call just in case.

Thanks everyone

Dear Brownstoners,

This is our first posting in this forum, we thought we might get a good idea on how to solve our problem with the help of the collective experience in this group. We have a brownstone in a landmarked district that has a violation related to the front stoop. Basically the original balusters disappeared decades ago, and we need to replace them with balusters that match those of the house next door. (pictures attached). There are no similar balusters commercially available and no other such balusters in any home we have ever seen except the one next door. So far the cast iron and aluminum estimates we have gotten have been in the 15K range and involve temporarily removing two balusters from our neighbors’ stoop in order to make the casts. We are looking to see what other materials and methods may be more economical… we have been thinking fiberglass but have not gotten responses from any of the fiberglass places we have emailed. Any recommendations on good, reliable, fiberglass companies or thoughts about other materials, or any other solution to our problem? Can Landmarks just make you pay any amount to fix a violation or will they work with you to do something in a reasonable price range (e.g. accept a substitution with a commercially available baluster.) Thanks!

My one year old has lead poisoning to the point where the city’s health department is involved. After much testing and concern, we determined that the main culprits are our windows, the outside of which are covered with flaking lead paint. We have been replacing them as we can come up with the money. We are in the process of filing for permits to change the front and back windows (and to add a deck at the same time to have access to our backyard without having to go through our kids’ room), but it’s been taking a while to get the deck drawings, etc…

In the meantime, we changed the front parlor since they were in the worst condition, flaking paint outside all over where our kids walk and play. We just received a warning letter that the windows are in violation. I assume that one of our neighbors must have told on us, which given that most know about our son’s lead poisoning, is kind of depressing.

anyway, has anybody been in this position and can offer some advice?

thanks!

The info for this free event just landed in my inbox. Sounds fun.

Brooklyn Safari: Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. Starts at the Brooklyn Public Library steps, Eastern Parkway at Grand Army Plaza, co-led by landscape architect Marcha Johnson and Robert Arthur King, author of Animals in Stone: Architectural Sculpture in New York City

To RSVP for this event or get more info, email morgan@nycivic.org or call 212-564-4441.

Hi, We need to repair our cornice on our brownstone, which will entail repainting it. Our desire is to paint it to the original black (we believe this is the appropriately historical color). Do we need to get Landmarks approval for either or both of these scenarios? a) repair and repaint it, in the current color or b) repair and repaint it black. Advice from anyone knowledgeable on Landmarks and cornice repair, or from someone having done a similar repair is appreciated.

Just want to report back on my earlier post…i was building a deck in my rear yard and got caught up on landmarks review. they would not let me build out to the size i was allowed as of right under the building code because of concern that i was encroaching into the “green way” of the block (basically the donut formed by the buildings). Jim Hill of Urban Pioneering Architecture helped me make my case (that there were several other encroachments into the green way on my block) to landmarks and got my deck approved. Thanks Jim!

We are considering purchasing a townhouse. But there are currently two LPC violations on the exterior that would need to be addressed by the new owners. In particular all the windows need to be replaced (current owners put in cheap plastic ones) and the cornice is missing. It looks awful and I don’t know what the current owners were thinking.

In any case, I know we would be responsible for the update. I have no idea what that would cost. I imagine the cornice would be quite expensive as it would require scaffolding. We are getting estimates this week, and this will likely be a dealbreaker for us. If not, we will adjust our offer accordingly.

But my question is, if we did decide to go ahead with it and buy the place, how much time do we have to address the violations? Does it have to be done immediately? Would LPC fine us for every month it’s not done? Or would we be able to file for an extension to buy some time?