Landmark permit issued for 70 HUDSON AVENUE, BROOKLYN in Vinegar Hill

Landmark building permit details

Location 70 HUDSON AVENUE, BROOKLYN
Issue date June 4, 2008
COFA COFA 08-9886
Docket 08-6599
Historic district Vinegar Hill
Landmark name N/A
Expiration date March 4, 2014
Text ISSUED TO:
Dale Nichols
70 Hudson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201



Pursuant to Section 25-307 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation
Commission, at the Public Meeting of March 4, 2008, following the Public Meeting and Public Hearing of
December 11, 2007, voted to approve the proposed work at the subject premises, as put forward in your
application completed November 15, 2007. This approval will expire March 4, 2014.

The proposed work, as approved, consists of removing the clapboard cladding on all facades, and the installation
of cedar shingles with a "thatch" painted finish; removal of storefront infill, and the installation of new storefront,
featuring operable transoms, paneled bulkheads, large panes of glass, a projecting wood cornice and a corner
entrance; removal of storefront window and wood paneling at the Water Street facade, and the enlarging of the
opening to create a second access door; installation of a barrier free access concrete ramp and metal railing;
modifying a door opening and installing a window within the opening all at the Water Street façade; replacing a
wood door, featuring a transom and sidelights; and the installation of brick steps and a steel handrail at the
Hudson Avenue facade; removal of an existing hatch at the roof, and the construction of a stair bulkhead set back
11'6" from the Hudson Avenue elevation, featuring aluminum clad windows and door; raising the parapet at the
rear elevation and cladding it in cedar shingles, installation of a new roof membrane, wood terrace and steel
railing at the roof; the removal of two one-over-one, double-hung windows and a door at the cellar; removal of a
door and stoop, two one-over-one, double-hung windows at the rear façade and the installation of two,
two-over-two, double-hung windows, featuring projecting sills painted Benjamin Moore HC-156 ("Van Deusen
Blue"); the construction of porches at the second and third floors of the rear façade, featuring cedar shingles; the
installation of two paired wood and glass doors; and the installation of a wood gate at the rear yard. The proposal,
as originally presented, consisted of a clapboard cladding stained brown with a pale blue storefront, cornice and
window trim; a brick storefront bulkhead; a brick stoop at the residential entrance; an overhang at the stair
bulkhead at the roof. The proposal was shown in existing conditions photographs; color renderings of proposed
storefront, rooftop bulkhead and rear yard addition; undated plan, elevation and section drawings, prepared by
Wilvani Van Campen, R.A. submitted as components of the application, and presented at the Public Meeting and
Public Hearing.

In reviewing this proposal, the Commission notes that the designation report describes 70 Hudson Avenue as a
Greek Revival style rowhouse built circa 1828-41.

With regard to this proposal, the Commission finds that the proposed work will not eliminate, or cause damage to,
any significant architectural features of the building; that the proposed shingle siding will recall the layer of the
building's history, evident in the tax photo; that extending the storefront an additional bay on the Water Street
façade to allow for an additional entry door within the storefront and modifying an existing door opening on the
facade to create a window opening will provide for direct barrier-free access and will not detract from the scale
and character of the building; that the design, configuration and materials of the proposed wood corner storefront
will recall the storefront in the historic tax photograph; that the modest size and simple design of the proposed
barrier-free access ramp on the Water Street façade will not overwhelm the façade, or detract from the significant
architectural features; that the height and volume of the proposed rooftop addition will not overwhelm the scale
of the building; that the rooftop addition has been sited, so that it will be only minimally visible from a portion of
Hudson Avenue; that the raised parapet will be clad with shingles to blend in with the facade; that a rear porch
addition is a typical feature found on Greek Revival rowhouses; that because of it's corner location, and the
presence of rear additions on the adjacent buildings, the proposed porch addition will not diminish the special
character of the central greenspace; that the proposed window openings at the second floor of the rear elevation
follow a repeated fenestration pattern established by the original window openings; and that the six foot high
wood fence and gate at the rear yard is consistent with the types of garden fences found on corner rowhouses.
Based on these findings, the Commission determined the proposed work to be appropriate, and voted to approve
it.

However, in voting to grant this approval, the Commission stipulated that a set of unmounted copies of the
presentation drawings and two final signed and sealed copies of the Department of Buildings filing drawings for
the approved work be submitted to the staff of the Commission for review and approval.

Subsequently, on May 2, 2008, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received final drawings labeled A001,
A100 through A104, A201, A202, dated May 1, 2008, A301, A-302, dated May 1, 2008, prepared by Wilvani
Van Campen, R.A. Accordingly, staff reviewed the drawings and found that the proposal approved by the
Commission has been maintained. Based on this and the above findings, the drawings are marked approved with
a perforated seal, and Certificate of Appropriateness 08-9490 is being issued.

This permit is issued on the basis of the building and site conditions described in the application and disclosed
during the review process. By accepting this permit, the applicant agrees to notify the Commission if the actual
building or site conditions vary or if original or historic building fabric is discovered. The Commission reserves
the right to amend or revoke this permit, upon written notice to the applicant, in the event that the actual building
or site conditions are materially different from those described in the application or disclosed during the review
process.

All approved drawings are marked approved by the Commission with a perforated seal indicating the date of
approval. The work is limited to what is contained in the perforated documents. Other work or amendments to
this filing must be reviewed and approved separately. The applicant is hereby put on notice that performing or
maintaining any work not explicitly authorized by this permit may make the applicant liable for criminal and/or
civil penalties, including imprisonment and fines. This letter constitutes the permit; a copy must be prominently
displayed at the site while work is in progress. Please direct inquiries to Mishael Shabrami.




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Issued: 6/4/08
DOCKET: 08-6599
Robert B. Tierney
Chair

PLEASE NOTE: PERFORATED DRAWINGS AND A COPY OF THIS PERMIT HAVE BEEN SENT TO:
Steve Hoffman, Van Campen Architects

cc: Jared Knowles, Deputy Director of Preservation/LPC




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Issued: 6/4/08
DOCKET: 08-6599

Added to EveryBlock on July 1, 2008.