A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
See this beautiful brownstone front yard at 97 St. Marks Avenue? Better enjoy it while you can, because the owner is getting ready to demolish it to create a driveway and garage despite the recent landmarking of Prospect Heights, according to a tipster and DOB filings. How could this happen? We’re not quite sure, but…
See this beautiful brownstone front yard at 97 St. Marks Avenue? Better enjoy it while you can, because the owner is getting ready to demolish it to create a driveway and garage despite the recent landmarking of Prospect Heights, according to a tipster and DOB filings. How could this happen? We’re not quite sure, but here’s the initial permit where it mentions converting a portion of the ground floor into a garage and here’s an amendment for the curb cut. The whole thing is eerily reminiscent of what happened at 174 Clinton Avenue a couple of years ago. The icing on the cake, according to a Forum post yesterday, is that the owner’s kicking out the old lady who sold him the house but continued to live in the garden apartment in order to do it. We’ll get back to you with what Landmarks has to say. Let’s hope this is all a big misunderstanding! Update: LPC confirms that they have no record of any applications for Landmark approval at this address. GMAP
I agree somewhat with what Wasder et al. are saying….but
does not seem that getting a curb cut in this location
(and this has nothing to do with landmarking) is allowed.
So when someone does get this thru – we do question seriously on how this happened. We certainly know that some DOB employees have been open to bribery, people with political inside contacts get ‘wavers’ that us oridinary schmucks dont, so when we smell something fishy – we don’t have to say -oh well,,,musta be just honky dory legally.
If the DOB did in fact erroneously issue the permit, can they rescind it?
“I just don’t think this public “hanging” is the way to address an issue like this.”
Thank you, voice of reason, wasder!
It’s not right for the neighbors to go after her on the web. No way, no how. If there is a disagreement about the curb cut, they should have kept it amongst themselves.
That said, likely DOB made an error in approving it and the curb cut shouldn’t be allowed. Just reiterating my initial point- the front yard may be hers- the sidewalk and street aren’t. Therefore the community does have a right to say something. But they should do it like adults.
What about the elderly woman who sold the current owner the house?
Is she being forced out, or is it a friendly move?
Thanks Boerumresident. Like I said in my first post I would be very surprised if this proceeds. I’m sure the neighbors are all over it and I see that a complaint was filed with the DOB just yesterday I believe.
The block was landmarked on 9/21… The same day all the owners stuff was approved.
Landmarking was calendared on July 15th 2008. Once Landmarking has been calendared you need to go through the motions of LPC even if the area hasn’t been formally granted LPC status….at least that was the impression I have from all of the LPC material I have read.
I just don’t think this public “hanging” is the way to address an issue like this. If they just started doing this with no permit trail whatsoever then yes. But here they are at least trying to comply with one version of the law by having a permit. As someone else says above why shouldn’t the tipster first at least reach out personally and try to find out the intentions of the owner before resorting to this sort of step?