Slopers Support Expansion of Historic District
There were no naysayers at the Community Board 6 hearing for the expansion of the Park Slope Historical District last night, so the proposal moves onto the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a public hearing on October 26th. Members of the Park Slope Civic Council took the opportunity to advocate for the plan and area homeowners…
There were no naysayers at the Community Board 6 hearing for the expansion of the Park Slope Historical District last night, so the proposal moves onto the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a public hearing on October 26th. Members of the Park Slope Civic Council took the opportunity to advocate for the plan and area homeowners were equally enthusiastic. One issue that came up a lot at the meeting, though, was the frustration over new developments in the neighborhood. “New real estate projects contribute nothing to Park Slope and dock thousands of dollars off your home,” said one homeowner. Another said, “I never thought I’d be walking past soulless buildings in my neighborhood.” Councilman Steve Levin also made an appearance and commented, “They don’t make buildings like they used to. I’d be surprised to see the buildings on 4th Avenue last another 50 years.” Ouch! If all goes according to plan, the expansion will be voted on sometime in 2011. Then it’ll be time to focus on Phase Two of the expansion, which would extend the current historical district to Flatbush Avenue.
If Benson is so concerned, he should have been at the meeting.
Instead, he’d rather complain about it here I suppose.
Odd.
Funny how benson will call Levin a moron but objects when anyone outs Palidino as a “nutjob.” Hypocritical much?
That said, what is your problem with preservation? You take every pro-preservation post as a personal affront. Get over it instead of ranting on and on, and calling people morons or worse, simply because we like old houses and we want to see them preserved. So Levin indulged in a bit of hyperbole. You’re way more guilty of that.
So, Benson, where WERE the “naysayers” with their alternative position? Did the Party (err, Park Slope Civic Council) station guards at the door to keep them out, or are there:
a. Very few people in PS opposing the HD extension
b. a lack of motivation on the part of any opposition?
IMO it doesn’t make much sense to complain about “no thinking going on” when the opposition declines to show (UNLESS you’re complaining about the supposed opposition not really caring).
crimsonson,
I, for one, live quite happily in a 111 year old brownstone [well, to be accurate, brick & limestone] that has not been gut renovated, as do most of my neighbors and thousands of my fellow “brownstoners”*. Keeping original details in a house does NOT preclude replacing plumbing, wiring, etc.
* A name coined in the ’60s by the Brownstone Revival Committee and adopted by this blog.
Of course Brownstones deteriorate too.
But I’d be curious to know if Brownstones, after 1 year of being built were seeing their floors and walls crack.
Given that I live in one and have the original floors, I’d say the answer is no.
What what I’ve seen throughout brownstone Bklyn, as well as Brownstone Manhattan, most people live quite well in rowhouses that have NOT been gut renovated. Updated and systems re-done, yes, but hardly gut renovated.
just a few additional notes from the meeting – the process is likely to take about 18 months until final approval – and this is the first phase only (the Civic Council has a three stage plan.
The landmarks rep offered their home page as a site for information about the implications of landmarking http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/about/about.shtml – should be helpful (as well as the Civic Council site)
Levin was there at the end of the meeting – the majority of the area (I think all of it) is in Brad Landers district, who was there (and very supportive) at the beginning of the meeting – his office could also help with questions.
Yeah – like Brownstones themselves don’t have problems. While the exterior hold up well their interior (plumbing, electric, etc) also needs maintenance or upgrade.
Yeah let me see folks here live in a 100 year old Brownstone that has not been gut renovated.
WTF!!
That settles it, Park Slope ends at the middle of 15th Street.