Illegal Paint Job on Landmarked Block of Clinton Hill
We just got a tip that someone just started painting one of the brownstones on Grand Avenue between Gates and Putnam white this morning. (Yes, a certain blogger does live on this block.) Something tells us the Landmarks Preservation Commission didn’t sign off on this. If any readers are nearby, we’d appreciate a photo asap….
We just got a tip that someone just started painting one of the brownstones on Grand Avenue between Gates and Putnam white this morning. (Yes, a certain blogger does live on this block.) Something tells us the Landmarks Preservation Commission didn’t sign off on this. If any readers are nearby, we’d appreciate a photo asap. If anyone from LPC is reading, please get on the stick! Update 7/27: Here’s the photo from about 11:20 this morning. The address is 373 Grand Avenue. LPC confirms that there are no permits out on this.
Update 7/29: As the Daily News article reports, it turns out that—luckily—the owner was only repainting the area around the door. While we understand that some people feel it was an overreaction on our part to post about this before all the facts were known, here’s why we think it was warranted: First of all, had the painters been intending to paint the entire facade, every second counted when we got the tip (we were in fact in Dumbo, and not just across the street, when the tip came in, so popping over for a friendly chat was not an option); secondly, we were on the phone with LPC within five minutes of getting the tip, and LPC told us that (1) the owner had no permit for the painting and (2) that he had racked up, and failed to cure, several other landmark violations over the years. All these factors led us to conclude that, on balance, it was not worth taking the risk that something really destructive might happen. You know, better safe than sorry. With 20/20 hindsight, this was clearly the wrong call. Apologies to the owner—our obsession with historic brownstones may have gotten the better of us on this one.
Bottom photo by Rosier for the Daily News
For chrissakes, at least change the headline to correct the fact that it was not an “Illegal” paint job.
“As for sending the guy a fruit basket, as another commenter suggested, we’ll save that for when he fixes the outstanding landmarks violations he has on the house.”
Real Classy, Mr. B., I guess this post was all his fault, eh?
This whole situation is an over-reaction by a bunch of liberal new comers to the neighbood. You are all a bunch of Nazi’s which want things your way or no-way. The owner of property has lived in the neighborhood for decades. Maybe next time Brownstoner Blog can get off their ass and do real journalism reporting and find out the simple facts as the Daily News did.
This whole situation is an over-reaction by a bunch of liberal new comers to the neighbood. You are all a bunch of Nazi’s which want things your way or no-way. The owner of property has lived in the neighborhood for decades. Maybe next time Brownstoner Blog can get off their ass and do real journalism reporting and find out the simple facts as the Daily News did.
This whole situation is an over-reaction by a bunch of liberal new comers to the neighbood. You are all a bunch of Nazi which want things your way or no-way. The owner of property has lived in the neighborhood for decades. Maybe next time Brownstoner Blog can get off their ass and do real journalism reporting I foind out the simple facts as the Daily News did.
Hooray, Brownstoner to the rescue. I guess the “Brownsuit” goes into the closet until the next moment when unknowing citizens fail to obey the crystal-clear laws of the LPC, eh? Oh wait, they didn’t break any LPC laws.
Nice find, l0B0t.
And Brownstoner, stick to Real Estate listings, they’re much safer than spouting off on regulations of which you seem to know jack.
A quick visit to NYC.gov will show you that NO PERMIT is required for this type of work.
From the FAQ of the LPC website:
“Do I need a Commission permit to make ordinary repairs?
You do not need a permit from the Landmarks Commission to perform ordinary repairs or maintenance chores. For example, you do not need a permit to replace broken window glass, repaint a building exterior to match the existing color, or caulk around windows and doors. If you have any doubt about whether a permit is needed, call the Commission at (212) 669-7817.”
So, all this fooferall over something that the LPC has no regulatory authority over anyway. Again, a little fact-checking by the author of this story would have been in the best interest of all.
7:59,
THe point isn’t whether or not this was primer. If he had filed the job with LPC, the scope of the work would have been public record and we would have known within 5 minutes of getting the tip that there was no cause for alarm.
Thanks for the welcome. Please let me state for the record that I am in no way opposed to discussion and healthy vigorous debate. This just reminds me of the late ’70s in Miami when all the Marielitos showed up and started painting their houses blue, orange, and green; boy, did that cause a stink.