BREAKING: Ocean on the Park Houses Landmarked
We’ll have more details for you in the morning, but we just got word that the Landmarks Preservation Commission just approved the Ocean on the Park Historic District. Past coverage here. Whoopee!
We’ll have more details for you in the morning, but we just got word that the Landmarks Preservation Commission just approved the Ocean on the Park Historic District. Past coverage here. Whoopee!
I’m still wondering what relevance to the historic district designation the shared driveway had in the mind of the owners of 189. They apparently brought it up at the LPC hearing. Can anyone clarify?
two things:
1. you can (theoretically) build in a historic district. it just means that the LPC gets to approve the design.
2. I still say the city would be better off with 6 story multifamily dwellings dwellings on the spot b/c development would be less intrusive there than just about anywhere. plus the penthouses could have nice views of the park.
It was an incredible landmarks session! MM and Babs are right — what happened today is way more exciting than just the designation of the Ocean on the Park Houses. (Although, I must say, the conferring of HD status on this teeny row of houses which border the east side of Prospect Park was damn exciting, relieving, cause for celebration, a “hallelujah moment” and all that.) Indeed, what the LPC did today was major because it signaled to preservationists and developers alike that the swinging of the wrecker’s ball may not necessarily mean the struggle to preserve a historic site has been forever lost.
In this case, the single spark which started the prairie fire which then became the Ocean on the Park preservation movement was the sale of a century old brick house to an inexperienced, undercapitalized real estate developer during the height of the bubble. Thus began a race between the preservationists and the developers to opposing finish lines. While the preservationists were pleading for historic district designation of the entire row before the developer could strike, the developer was rushing to secure DOB approval of his plans to erase a bit of architectural history before the LPC could take action to stop the clock. Of course, we all know that the preservationists lost that race. Yet, the irony is that it was the developer’s act of demolishing a historic house which is exactly what helped the LPC to see the Ocean on the Park preservation argument more clearly.
Therefore, after designating this new HD in PLG today, the LPC also voted to calendar this (paraphrased) question: Can the newly-designated Ocean on the Park Historic District be amended/extended to include: (1) the stalled/or abandoned construction site and/or (2) the shared driveway that is sandwiched between the boundaries of the new HD and the abandoned construction site? In short, today’s extraordinary action by the LPC action is one that should tell us whether there are ever circumstances in which the development gate can, and should, be closed after the historic cow has already left the barn. That’s gotta be historic in and of itself. Stay tuned!
Who needs Benson?
Unfortunately, I think some of the property owners on both Parkside and Chester are anti-landmarks as well. If you recall, there were only 2 opposing owners at the original Ocean on the Park hearing at the LPC. I think there would be more in these cases.
benson, you haven’t blown thru here yet to declare yet another assault on the working class!
Any updates as to what’s going on with the remaining unprotected Victorian Flatbush nabes?
RE: “let’s move on to Parkside and Chester”
I sure hope we can.
Virtually all the work towards our new historic district was done by the residents of these houses (with a little help from me and rather more help from Ben Edwards, the LMA President).
People from other blocks were invited to the Ocean Avenue homeowners initial meetings with no response. FWIW I’ve been beating the bushes to drum up interest in landmarking additional PLG blocks here, on our local Lefferts Yahoo list, in the pages of the “Echo” and anywhere else I can think of. If people aren’t interested in getting involved nothing is likely to happen
But considering they are non-contiguous, do we need two names? Or what about Parkchester (isn’t that in the Bronx?)?