New two-story house okayed for vacant lot. Geoffroi Flournoy, of BRP Development Corp., sought Landmarks approval to build a twostory, red-brick building at 302 Waverly Avenue, a vacant lot in the Clinton Hill Historic District, Brooklyn. Following three public hearings in 2001 through 2003, the new building was approved based on the design’s replication of other two-story carriage houses within the district.

In approving, Landmarks noted that the design’s proposed cornice, red brick and large wooden garage door related to the existing carriage houses on Waverly Avenue and were in keeping with the historic district. Further, the new building would only be slightly visible from Clinton Avenue, which contains several notable mansions once owned by the Pratt family. (more…)

Rendering of 311 Vanderbilt Avenue. Image Credit: LPC.

Sculptural dwelling takes cues from arched bays of carriages houses common to Clinton Hill’s Vanderbilt Avenue. On February 7, 2017, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered and approved an application to construct a new building on a vacant lot at 311 Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill Historic District. The site, currently used for parking, is on a through-block lot, with an existing 1890 townhouse facing Clinton Avenue. The planned building will rise to four stories, with the top floor set back from the main facade. (more…)

Rendering of 145 Gates Avenue in Brooklyn. Image Credit: LPC.

Vacant since the 1960s, new owners would construct Italianate-style rowhouse on historic district site. On August 18, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered an application to construct a new four-story rowhouse on a vacant lot at 145 Gates Avenue in the Clinton Hill Historic District. The lot, at the corner of Grand Avenue, at one point hosted an 1800s masonry rowhouse similar to others still standing on the block, but it was demolished in the 1960s, prior to the district’s designation. (more…)

Carriage-house style building approved after reducing size and visibility of fourth floor. On December 7, 2010, Landmarks approved a modified proposal to develop a new building on a vacant parking lot at 414 Waverly Avenue in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill Historic District. The owner proposed building a four-story two-family residence inspired by the 19th century carriage houses that bookend the lot. The building would be clad in brick and the fourth floor would be set back fifteen feet. At the project’s prior hearings in October and November 2010, Landmarks expressed concern about the size and visibility of the fourth floor. Brooklyn Community Board 2 supported the project.

At the October hearing, the project’s architect, Jim Hill, said the new building would “keep the rhythm” of the neighboring two- story carriage houses. Hill pointed out that while the building would be taller than its immediate neighbors, it would be similar in size to other buildings on the block and shorter than permissible under the area’s R6B zoning. (more…)