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!
“let’s move on to Parkside and Chester. Is someone going to come up with a cutesy/catchy name for them too?”
How about the “Parcheesi HD”?
Thanks for the clarification Bob — yes, let’s move on to Parkside and Chester. Is someone going to come up with a cutesy/catchy name for them too?
Truly the most exciting Landmarks session I’ve ever witnessed!
Congratulations to the Ocean on the Park Houses. I know how hard you’ve worked to get this.
This was a really interesting move by LPC, to calendar the lot, and will cheer preservationists, while supremely pissing off those who don’t think any agency should dictate property use. I was at the hearing primarily for the designation of Crown Heights North Phase II, which unanimously passed, and stayed to support my friends on Ocean.
I had no idea I was going to witness something much bigger than the actual specific event. This will be very important to future landmarking efforts.
The homeowner is in a bad position though what with the odd shared driveway. The cantilever design that would project over the driveway right to the property line is a terrible idea. I believe she was worried about her ability to sell if the house was landmarked, but I think the cantilever design would be far more of a killer than being landmarked would.
FlatbushMan23,
# 185 is NOT in the Historic District that was just designated, although it probably would have been had the designation been calendared before that house was torn down [BUT SEE MORE BELOW].
Babs,
This row was actually not in the original historic district proposed by the LPC in the mid-70s. Many other parts of PLG, including Parkside Ave. and Chester Court, were in that original proposal and were left out because they weren’t contiguous with the HD that was designated in 1979. IMO they SHOULD be landmarked, but that’s a battle for another day
There was one really dramatic development at the LPC vote this morning. The owner of #189 demanded that her objections (already expressed at the hearing several months ago) be heard. The Commission listened and, although they voted to designate the whole row, they promised staff help with problems that might develop due to the construction site next door. The dramatic part is that the commissioners held a separate vote to calendar the adjacent lot (#185) as a possible addition to the Ocean on the Park HD. This might be part of an LPC effort to address the problem of constructionj adjacent to historic districts.
I think anything built would have to be approved by the LPC in terms of appropriateness — see examples in Brooklyn Heights. Certainly what was proposed (an eight-story condo wit a cantilvered projection over the driveway of the house next door) wouldn’t pass.
Can an empty lot be made part of an historic district? If so, does the owner of the empty lot at 185 lose the right to build on it? It would make one heck of a community garden :-).
This district was originally proposed for inclusion in the original Prospect Lefferts Gardens historic district in 1979, but the LPC was not into non-contiguous districts at the time, so this is really an add-on. Still to come: Chester Court, Parkside Ave.
This turned out better than we could have hoped — the lot adjacent to 189 Ocean (the former house that sparked it all) has now been calendared as well.
Well done everyone!
Small- but a jewel! Great work- and a lovely group of houses.