BREAKING: 70 Lefferts Place Landmarked!
We just got word that the Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously this morning to designate 70 Lefferts Place. Here’s a detailed account from the comments of yesterday’s post: LPC unanimously approved designating 70 Lefferts Place a NYC individula landmark today. The developer even said, at the public hearing, that he was willing to work within…
We just got word that the Landmark Preservation Commission voted unanimously this morning to designate 70 Lefferts Place. Here’s a detailed account from the comments of yesterday’s post:
LPC unanimously approved designating 70 Lefferts Place a NYC individula landmark today. The developer even said, at the public hearing, that he was willing to work within the existing structure to develop condominiums in an adaptive reuse manner. That made it easier for the LPC, I’m sure, but don’t think it was the dispositive factor in their decision. They held that it was architecturally significant, historically significant due to the heritage of owners such as father divine, and in a good state of repair considering its age.
The turnout was large: Lefferts Place Civic Associatoin representatives spoke in favor of designation, CB2 representatives supported the designation, as did Tish James, another gov’t representative whose name I missed, the Clinton Hill Society, and numerous residents of the street and nearby areas, old and new, spoke to the history and significance of the home historically and personally
The LPC commended the developer’s (Chris Morris) statement that he is willing to work with the community and stated that once his work is finished within the LPC guidelines, he should be held up as an example of a good developer who worked with the desires of the community and with LPC in preserving the heritage of the area while helping to provide more housing.
The Clinton Hill Society representative noted that next quarter the change in zoning of residential blocks such as Lefferts Place, in both Clinton Hill and Fort Greene, from R6 to R6B is on the calendar. This would prevent towers from being built on residential brownstone blocks. The logical correlation (or compromise) to that is that commercial streets such as Fulton and Myrtle could be built more densely (read taller), thereby providing more residential density above businesses on those commercial streets, while preserving the attractive historic residential blocks.
Additionally, next year, the Clinton Hill Society (and Fort Greene Association) will be presenting its application to expand the landmark district to those blocks (such as Lefferts Place and other blocks between Fulton and Atlantic) that were not designated landmarks 20 years. From what I’ve heard, the lack of designation years ago was rather arbitrarily based on the fact that Fulton Street is a commercial street that divided those blocks from the rest of FG/CH. That’s ironic since some of the non-designated blocks have older homes than the designated ones and are almost fully intact.
In any event, now developers are fully aware of the issues, and future plans of the neighborhood and can plan accordingly and prevent unnecessary headaches when looking at opportunities.
All in all, a good deal for Lefferts Place and Clinton Hill. I’m sure Chris Morris is not thrilled, but the goodwill he will generate if he plays this correctly may go a long way not just with this property, but with the other 3 or 4 properties he said he bought (recent NYT article) in neighborhoods in the vicinity of the proposed AY project.
Kudos to Brownstoner, too.
Don’t try to defend a developer on this board, it’s useless. I love how people complain about landmarks when it prevents them from adding an addition but if it prevents an evil developer from doing his job then they’re all for it. Look in the mirror people.
ha ha to the developer who purchased it for $2M!! bravo to the elderly woman who sold it for $2M!! finally, it it about time that tish james did something for the community, now if only she could do something about the drug dealers, now that would really be something.
I’m glad to learn that the enclosed front porch – a major departure from the original design – did not prevent the building from being designated. I hope the Landmarking Commission takes a similar view when reviewing applications from neighborhoods in Victorian Flatbush which have yet to be landmarked.
This seems to be incomprehensible to some of you, but some people do defend old buildings for the beauty and character they bring to a neighborhood. Just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean it isn’t true of others. Architecture and historical preservation are virtues in and of themselves, just like art.
they have a name for this its called stealing. the developer didn’t do anything wrong he bought a property based on a certain zoning to build it. then nimbys robbed him of his propertys real worth so they can keep the neighborhood the way they want it and to keep their own property values up. lets not forget the great victory to preserve vinyl and aluminum sided houses in the south slope. great architectural feats. i have a friend whos about to go financially under in the south slope who if the zoning regulation weren’t changed walked away with about 400k instead of nothing. but nimbys love vinyl sided houses that look terrible. if it was really up to the nimbys they would have no new development and a moratorium on people moving in this way they could all have a parking place in front of their house and raise their own property values. of course they wouldn’t want to pay property taxes over 1000 dollars on their 1.5 million dollar brownstones no that should fall to condo owners or the people who live in bay ridge or forest hills who have houses half the price of theirs with 4x the taxes. of course then you have the nimbys that make up things like beams falling off buildings or non union labor to furthur their cause. im not saying their shouldn’t be any checks on new development but lets be honest what driving preservation is money not preservation.
Glad to hear the community’s work has prevailed. Wish I could be there to clebrate.Thanks Chris Morris and Tisha James. I miss living in 70 Lefferts Place and always knew it was a special. I am glad that I can go back to visit.
You’d be an eccentric Philly mob boss who lives in a really ugly Italianate mansion and wants to kill his own brother but fails and ends up being killed himself? Why?
If I were this developer, I’d be pretty pissed at whomever started the initiative to landmark this building. Have you ever seen “A History of Violence”? I’d be William Hurt if I was this guy.