Loew’s 175th Street Theater in Manhattan’s Washington Heights. Image Credit: LPC.

Six designations sent to full Council where they were ratified; three items held over for further deliberation. On February 27, 2017, City Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses heard testimony and voted on the items designated at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s last meeting devoted to the backlog initiative. The designated properties were introduced to the Subcommittee by Landmarks’ Lisa Kersavage and Lauren George. The Subcommittee approved designations for six of the items, but laid over three items for further consideration in instances where the property owners objected to designation. The three items not advanced to the Land Use Committee and full Council were the Lakeman-Cortelyou House, the Loew’s 175th Street Theater, and the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Flushing.

Prior to hearing public testimony, Council Member Steven Matteo discussed the designation of the Lakeman-Cortleyou House in New Dorp, Staten Island. The House dates to the 17th century, with the oldest part of the building constructed of fieldstone, and possesses a gambrel roof. Commissioners at Landmarks were advised that designation would likely be overturned at the Council level, but nonetheless awarded the property landmarks status due to its antiquity and rarity. (read more…)

Landmarks Preservation Commission. Credit: LPC.

Items originally proposed for designation in recent years often faced significant opposition. The Landmarks Preservation Commission will begin the process of addressing the 95 items calendared for potential designation before 2010, but that have never been brought before the Commission for a final vote. Landmarks will hold public hearings on groupings of the items at special Thursday meetings on October 8, October 22, November 5, and November 12 of 2015. The groups, which will consist of up to 12 items each, will be clustered by borough and community board. An initial plan to eliminate the backlog by de-calendaring the items without holding public hearings was withdrawn after the idea drew heavy opposition from preservationists and elected officials. The existence of the backlog has drawn attention to Landmarks’ procedures, and is part of the impetus for potential legislation that would impose ULURP-like timelines on Landmarks’ designation process. (read more…)

Landmarks first considered the recently restored, 300-year-old farmhouse in 1966. On August 10, 2010, Landmarks held a hearing on the possible designation of the Lakeman House, at 2286 Richmond Road in Staten Island. The Dutch Colonial farmhouse, built between 1683 and 1714, is one of the borough’s oldest homes. Landmarks first considered the building in 1966.

The farmhouse is situated on land granted to Lewis Lakeman by colonial Governor Edmund Andros in 1675. One of Lakeman’s sons, believed to be Abraham Lakeman, built the farmhouse’s original two-story section using irregular fieldstone. This section features a gambrel roof. A one-story wing featuring a gable roof was added at a later date. The Cortelyou family briefly owned the farmhouse and it is now part of the Moravian Florist complex. Spearheaded by the owner and preservation architect David Carnivale, the building recently underwent extensive restoration that included removing some modern additions and replacing roof material.

The Preservation League of Staten Island’s John Kilcullen testified that the borough was rapidly losing its 17th century buildings and urged Landmarks to designate the structure. The Society for the Architecture of the City’s Christabel Gough also supported designation, noting that the use of local fieldstone distinguished the Lakeman House from other Hudson Valley Dutch homes.

Landmarks did not set a date for a vote.

LPC: Lakeman House, 2286 Richmond Rd., Staten Island (LP-2447) (Aug. 10, 2010).