Curb Cut
We are in the process of buying a house in Lefferts Garden. The road appears to have ample street parking. We are thinking of applying for a curb cut and using the space in front of the house for off-street parking. I know curb-cuts are not given out very easily these days – but can…
We are in the process of buying a house in Lefferts Garden. The road appears to have ample street parking.
We are thinking of applying for a curb cut and using the space in front of the house for off-street parking.
I know curb-cuts are not given out very easily these days – but can anyone recommend (from experience) a good Architect/Expediter with good standing in the DoB to file a request for a curb cut ?
@OP
You wrote that you were “in the process of buying”. Hence “newbie”. Not condescension.
I didn’t say anything about a historic district, as it had already been established it’s not located in one. Historic ironwork, i.e antique, original whatever, often gets removed for these parking places. And I think that’s a shame.
@Boerum Hill, if there’s a driveway, then the curb parking spot is no longer there for the use of the public, only the person with the driveway.
IMO, front yard parking makes the block and the property look urban hillbilly, that’s all.
Aoric,
Sorry I missed you. I’m actually just getting back from a meeting now (11:30 Monday morning) and will shortly be heading to Long Island City to see about a restaurant job.
Feel free to email me the address and I’ll look into it and get back to you.
Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP
jim@urban-pioneering.com
@Commodore:
I appreciate your right to your opinion.
I was going to leave it there and give it all the respect it deserved – but actually I don’t think I will.
Not quite sure where you’re taking this ‘newbie’ line, but I felt that seemed quite conceited and condescending. You don’t know me, my history, nor the property in question (nor will you).
In addition, it’s NOT in the Historical district and you and have conveniently ignored my point about there being ample street parking already, and in fact there are a number of properties on the block and adjoining blocks with off-street parking already in play.
I know people feel quite entitled about their own and surrounding properties, the general aesthetic etc etc, but NIMBY’s (Not In My Back Yard) tend to take this a little far.
It’s not as if I’m suggested that I create an open cess pit in the front yard, nor bedeck every sq foot of the house in gaudy Xmas lights for 4mths of the year.
I’m asking a general question, and most have be decent enough to give a constructive answer (much appreciated folks!), but I guess there’s always one.
If a curb cut takes away from the character of a street I see the objection,
I don’t however see how a curb cut “steals” a parking space. If you don’t have the curb cut, con’t you just park on the street anyway. There is no net loss of a space.
Not saying I like it by pointing it out, but the non-historic-district blocks in PLG do have parking in front of some houses and buildings. Seems it’s more in new construction though, that are built set back further from the sidewalk, not curb cuts in front of the older houses. So it may be you find out you won’t have enough space in front to get a permit for it.
You can check the zoning handbook if you want but really you should send a survey to an architect to an initial analysis.
@Commodore….says you.
I don’t mean to be unfriendly, and I admit, I haven’t seen the block, but I dearly hope you fail to get the curb cut. Parking a car in the front area of the house just looks like shit. And that goes double if there’s historic ironwork that has to be altered or removed to do it. Furthermore, every curb cut steals another parking place from the block, a damned inconsiderate thing to do, especially for a newbie. Please rethink this idea.
I appreciate the original poster engaged in the conversation. I hate it when people try to answer questions and are ignored.