FRIENDS' Testimony:

FRIENDS recognizes the vast aesthetic improvement that this alteration will bring to this century-old institution of Carnegie Hill. However, aesthetic improvements aren’t always appropriate, which unfortunately is the case for the proposed cornice and rooftop addition at 1295 Madison Avenue.

While we appreciate the reintroduction of the cornice, FRIENDS’ Preservation Committee sees this as a missed opportunity to bring back the unusually large original cornice design with its decorative elements and restoring the building’s grandiosity. While similar in style to the original, the proposed cornice is too small in proportion to the former hotel, it is inadequate and completely out-of-scale.

Finally, FRIENDS commends the applicant for working with the community and listening to the neighbors’ concerns by lowering the rooftop addition height. Nevertheless, we believe the proposed penthouse and mechanical additions to be too bulky and too visible still. We encourage the applicant to continue working with the community and the Commission to come up with a plan that is less obtrusive and more respectful towards the building and the historic neighborhood.