Landmarks designates northeastern Queens suburb a historic district. On December 14, 2004, Landmarks designated the Douglaston Hill Historic District in Queens, a residential park-like community developed between 1890 and 1930, to preserve the special historical and aesthetic values of early twentieth-century architectural styles within the area. The new district consists of 31 freestanding, wooden, single-family homes of Queen Anne, Colonial and Tudor Revival style. Douglaston Hill became one of the first commuter suburbs that marked Queens’ transformation away from small farms and colonial villages. It was also the home of many prominent New Yorkers, including the O’Leary, Stuart and Hamilton families.

At the August 3, 2004 public hearing, Council Member Tony Avella and other public officials spoke in favor of designating the district to preserve styles which are becoming increasingly rare due to over-development or inappropriate alterations throughout Queens. Landmarks noted that the newly created historic district protects the turn-of-century picturesque architectural styles of the rapidly disappearing era of suburban development. (more…)

Commission approved Verizon’s consolidation plans. Verizon New York, Inc. sought to rezone two sites that it occupies in Clinton, Manhattan. The first proposal would rezone a 45,200 sq.ft. site at the intersection of Eleventh Avenue and West 43rd Street from M2-3 to C6-4. The second would rezone a 143,300 sq.ft. full-block area, bounded by Eleventh Avenue, West 47th Street, Twelfth Avenue and West 48th Street, from M2-3 to Ml- 5. The Commission unanimously approved both. Verizon intends to sell the up-zoned West 43rd site and consolidate operations into a new building located within the West 47th Street rezoning.

The rezoning on the two West 43rd lots would allow commercial/ residential uses and increase the sites’ permitted building size from 90,400 sq.ft. to 452,000- 542,400 sq.ft. Verizon argued that the one-story warehouse and six-story office on the site were antiquated, out-of-character and required upgrading. (more…)

Site contains six community gardens. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development fIled an application for the disposition of City-owned land and designation of an Urban Development Action Area for the construction of the Courtlandt Avenue Apartments, a five-story, 1 67- unit, low-income housing project in the Bronx.

The 55,980 sq.ft. project site, bounded by Courtlandt and Park Avenues and East 158th and 159th Streets, is comprised of 16 lots, of which 1 1 are vacant, two contain abandoned buildings, and three contain six community gardens. The six gardens are part of the 543 City community gardens subject to a 2002 settlement agreement between the City and the State Attorney General. 8 CityLaw 116 (2002) . Under the agreement, 198 gardens became permanent open spaces, 38 were set for development, and 114 became subject to a review process that could ultimately lead to development. (more…)

Permit will remove inappropriate changes made to Columbus Circle Landmark. On September 1, 2004, the Landmarks Preservation Commission issued a master plan permit for the individual landmark, 240 Central Park South Apartments, located on an entire block along Broadway and Columbus Circle between West 58th and West 59th Streets. Central Park South Associates LLC, the owner, sought the master plan to allow prospective changes to the residential windows, courtyards, and storefronts.

Landmarks approved, finding the permit an important step towards the elimination of inappropriate changes made prior to the buildings’ landmark designation. The permit allows future changes, without additional hearings, so long as the work complies with several montages and renderings submitted and approved by Landmarks. (more…)

Under threat of funding loss, Landmarks gives approval for elevator in Grant’s Tomb Pavilion. The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the design for an elevator installation at Grant’s Tomb Pavilion, a City individual landmark. The National Park Service sought a certificate of appropriateness for the addition of a glass-walled elevator on the pavilion’s north side. The tomb, including the pavilion, is currently one of the few federal landmarks without restrooms or a visitor center. The elevator, part of an extensive renovation to the deteriorating landmark, was the only work that required a Landmarks hearing. The remainder of the improvements, including stone replacement and structural repair, would be approved at staff level and would not require a full hearing by Landmarks.

At Landmarks’ first hearing on the application on September 14, 2004, the Park Service told the Commissioners that their approval was required by September 26, 2004, or the federal government would redirect the federal funds for all of the pavilion’s renovation work. Members of the Historic Districts Council, Community Board 9 and other preservationists objected to the design and proposed a plan for ramp-access. All of the speakers voiced objection to the acutely tight time frame given by the Park Service for Landmarks’ consideration and stressed that the Park Service had already undergone a related one-year long ULURP process for the pavilion work. That process began in February 2003, ending with the City Council’s August 12, 2004 approval. The speakers argued that the Landmarks application could have been filed in concert with the ULURP action to allow a time frame of up to one year for Landmarks’ review. (more…)