FRIENDS' Testimony:

In an effort toward full disclosure, the consultant on this project is a member of our Board of Directors. However, she did not participate in our review of this application.

The proposed fence would extend 3 feet from the building line, thereby enclosing valuable sidewalk space in a highly trafficked area. The applicant claims the fence will improve the space in front of the building in terms of security and aesthetic, and will designate space for trash storage. While we understand the desire to create a buffer from the sidewalk, the Preservation Committee at FRIENDS feels that the proposed solution does not feel organic to this building, which is already built out to the property line. Like 46 East 66th Street, the building’s immediate neighbors feature similar main entries at street level unmediated by fences. There may be a more appropriate intervention that minimizes encroachment onto the sidewalk. The existing planters already serve as an intermediary space between public and private, and perhaps a redesign or addition of planters would solve the same goal without altering the fabric of the building.

For this reason, the Preservation Committee recommends that the Commission work with the applicant to devise a simpler solution.