FRIENDS' Testimony:

While the Preservation Committee at FRIENDS is often disappointed when a substantial alteration does not implement a contemporary design, the proposed front façade at 127 East 71st Street improves upon the existing condition. The reconfigured fenestration aligns more closely with that of neighboring row houses and the proportion of glazing to masonry is generally appropriate. However, the large top floor window is not typical of townhouses located in the Upper East Side Historic District. A continuation of the three window configuration found on the two floors below would help to establish a more characteristic hierarchy of fenestration.

Our committee is generally opposed to the incorporation of areaway fencing because it can disengage a building from the streetscape. In this case, however, the proposed areaway fence is low, in line with the neighbor’s fencing at 129 East 71st Street, and based on a design that was once extant at this site. It was therefore found to be appropriate.

Overall the proposed redesign helps to reintegrate the townhouse into the context of the block. With modifications to the design of the top floor window, FRIENDS can support approval of this application.