A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
See this beautiful brownstone front yard at 97 St. Marks Avenue? Better enjoy it while you can, because the owner is getting ready to demolish it to create a driveway and garage despite the recent landmarking of Prospect Heights, according to a tipster and DOB filings. How could this happen? We’re not quite sure, but…
See this beautiful brownstone front yard at 97 St. Marks Avenue? Better enjoy it while you can, because the owner is getting ready to demolish it to create a driveway and garage despite the recent landmarking of Prospect Heights, according to a tipster and DOB filings. How could this happen? We’re not quite sure, but here’s the initial permit where it mentions converting a portion of the ground floor into a garage and here’s an amendment for the curb cut. The whole thing is eerily reminiscent of what happened at 174 Clinton Avenue a couple of years ago. The icing on the cake, according to a Forum post yesterday, is that the owner’s kicking out the old lady who sold him the house but continued to live in the garden apartment in order to do it. We’ll get back to you with what Landmarks has to say. Let’s hope this is all a big misunderstanding! Update: LPC confirms that they have no record of any applications for Landmark approval at this address. GMAP
Interesting discussion, but I have a related but different question: if a home/bldg in a landmark district has an existing curb cut — not being used, but an historic one — is it grandfathered, i.e., if one wanted to open up a garage opening in the bldg and start using the existing curb cut, can one do that?
does under review = stopped?
See it’s been stopped. We can all give a hoot without having to tar and feather eachother.
Given all the weird irregularities in the filing and permits here, and the strange coincidence of the permit issued on the same day as the landmarking, I’m wondering if there wasn’t some sort of an extra “payment” made to someone at the DOB to push this through. Any ideas for how to find out?
Looks like DOB has acted and there’s going to be a stop work order filed:
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/OverviewForComplaintServlet?requestid=5&vlcompdetlkey=0001219209
Personally I didn’t think jester’s post about the construction trailer was helpful but it’s a red herring anyway. The issue remains that these home owners really believe they can pull a fast one around LPC and desecrate one of the finest houses on one of the best blocks of Prospect Heights just days after landmarking designation became final. Their plan is a slap in the face to the scores of people in the neighborhood who worked hard to achieve this protection. However I very much doubt that they will be able to go ahead now that LPC, DOB and elected officials are all on the case. But I don’t doubt that they can and will legally evict their tenant. Sadly their way of going about it has been aggressive and hostile. As neighbors we have a right to give a damn!
Poking fun at self-righteous people is good satire and a punk move. I’m glad you think I was a dick, because it means you can’t take it down a notch and think for a minute and get the facts. Do the facts count or not? To you, they don’t count – calling me names does count though.
That is what is truly puzzling.
i gotta agree (w/ i_disagree) that deliberately posting false information in an effort to “get people all worked up” over the homeowner’s plans was a dick move that makes your other comments in the thread puzzling to say the least.
i_disagree, if you think I was trying to foment a witchhunt you are beyond stupid. And just so you know, posting after hours makes you a total coward. Figure it out ok?