FRIENDS' Testimony:

FRIENDS’ Preservation Committee appreciates the proposal's retention of the original row house proportions on the front façade, matching 128 East 64th Street, thereby affirming the building's historic character on this distinguished and varied block, particularly right next to a prominent modernist design. However, the Committee has concerns about the proposed areaway. Specifically, the proposed stoop and fencing, which extend across the property line on the side of the 11-story building, creates a narrow sidewalk as shown in the first-floor plan. Therefore, we recommend that the applicant redesign this section of the sidewalk.

We find the proposed stucco limestone appropriate. Although it does not match the original façade, it fits within the block. In keeping with the preservation of the building's original character, we request that the original six-over-six double-hung window design be retained.

The Committee finds the rooftop addition, at 21 feet above the existing rooftop, bulky, even though it is only minimally visible from the public thoroughfare. FRIENDS believes that placing such a disproportionately large addition on the roof of these two moderate row houses for a single-family home should not be approved by the Commission.

Additionally, the Committee has reservations about the rear yard design. We cannot support the excessive glazing on the first and second floors, nor the obscured distinction between the two separate row house volumes on those floors in the proposed design.

LPC Hearing: February 4, 2025