FRIENDS' Testimony:

The previous changes to the floorplates at 18 East 63rd have created a complicated exterior condition in what is otherwise a remarkably intact example of a neo-Grec townhouse. Our Committee was frustrated by the unfortunate floor intrusions throughout the building and was split on the current proposal, with some calling for nothing less than a full restoration of the façade, and others acknowledging the proposal as an improvement over the existing conditions. A solution like the one previously approved, which brought back the historic window sill, would be the most appropriate.

We would like to call attention to the fact that the designation report highlights that number 18 and its neighbor to the west, number 16, were “built as two of a row of four houses.” As such, it is important to find a solution that maintains the highest level of symmetry uniformly across both buildings.