FRIENDS' Testimony:

FRIENDS of the Upper East Side is dismayed that the applicants did not secure the proper permits for the rooftop mechanicals before construction back in 2014. The appearance of the compressor in question is not outright inappropriate in terms of its appearance and visibility and, in fact, it resembles common rooftop accretions in the district. However, FRIENDS cannot condone work that is completed without proper permits on buildings in Historic Districts. We strongly oppose a legalization that sets an “act first, ask later” precedent, as this threatens to degrade our protected buildings and undercut proper procedure. We feel that this legalization would be rewarding a dishonest representation of the proposed work during the original C of A application. We see this as an opportunity for the applicant to work with LPC staff to reconfigure the rooftop mechanicals so they are more deferential to the contributing Madison Avenue façade of this complex.