Friends of the Upper East Side
Historic Districts

Please see below the Upper East Side items on the LPC Agenda for Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Public hearings are held in the Conference Room at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 9th Floor, Borough of Manhattan. Any person requiring reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the hearing or attend the meeting should call or write to the Landmarks Commission no later than five business days before the hearing or meeting. Hearing times are announced on the LPC website, the Friday prior to a hearing.

135 East 65th Street, aka 868-870 Lexington Avenue – Upper East Side Historic District – NO ACTION
A neo-Federal style rowhouse designed by Edwin Outwater and built in 1903-1904. Application is to construct a rooftop addition.

57 East 75th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A Brutalist style apartment building designed by William B. Gleckman and
built in 1973-1979. Application is to modify window openings.

923 Fifth Avenue – Upper East Side Historic District- APPROVED
An apartment building designed by Sylvan Bien and built in 1949-51. Application is to construct a rooftop pergola.

790 Madison Avenue – Upper East Side Historic District- APPROVED
A brick apartment building constructed in 1960. Application is to reclad the
base and second floor and establish a master plan for storefront infill and
signage.

FRIENDS is keeping a close eye on a developing proposal put forth by the Department of Parks and Recreation to construct four inflatable bubbles in Central Park. The bubbles will cover the tennis courts north of the reservoir during five months of the year. We are concerned about air, noise, and light pollution, the “privatizing” of the courts through increased playing fees, and the visual destruction of the oasis that Frederick Law Olmsted designed the park to be.   Unfortunately, CB 8 voted last year to approve an early concept of the project, but last night at a heated and well attended meeting, a joint CB 8 Landmarks and Parks Committee decided to take a closer look and lamented their earlier vote. Read more about the CB 8 meeting here. 
THE DETAILS:
•The four proposed bubbles will cover 26 tennis courts from November to March and each bubble will stand 35 feet high, or the equivalent of a 3.5 story building
•The bubbles will be inflated and lit 24 hours a day with a generator powered by diesel fuel stored in four 2300 gallon tanks
•The current cost of tennis is $100 for the season. However, admission to play in the bubbles will cost from $30 to $100 per hour, dependent upon the day of the week and the hour
•The proposed leasing contract between the Parks Department and a private company is for 15 years. Central Park will not directly receive any of the revenue generated by the fee increase.

We are concerned that this proposal is circumventing the correct process for a complete public review, including a public hearing at the Landmarks Preservation Commission. We urge the Department of Parks and Recreation to fully present the project to the public and allow for public comment. This proposal will have a negative impact on Central Park, setting a dangerous precedent for the future. The park should be preserved for the 25 million visitors each year who seek out the park for quiet and recreation under open sky.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
Spread the word and sign this online petition

WRITE to our city agencies responsible for keeping our parks beautiful and accessible to all:

Adrian Benepe, Commissioner
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
The Arsenal, Central Park
830 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Online Contact Form

Robert Tierney, Chair
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Email Chair Tierney - comments@lpc.nyc.gov

On March 23rd, the LPC voted unanimously to designate the Upper East Side Historic District Extension! 75 buildings, including apartment buildings, carriage houses and busy Lexington storefronts have been added to the new and improved Upper East Side Historic District.

This will be the first expansion of the district in twenty-nine years – since its initial designation in 1981. FRIENDS applauds the community, our elected officials and anyone who lent their support or gave an encouraging word on this long road to designation. Together we have saved one more corner of New York City from demolition and inappropriate out-of-scale development. A special thank you to Council Member Daniel Garodnick, an avid and enthusiastic supporter of this overdue district extension.

FRIENDS has long been aware of the fragile nature of Lexington Avenue’s livable and lovable streetscape, its clusters of low rise 19th century rowhouses, elegant pre-war apartment buildings and most importantly its enduring spirit as one of New York City’s great main streets. There are wonderful and unusual examples of architecture in this newly protected part of New York City, such as the remarkable Parge House at 65th Street and a row of rare surviving stables on East 75th Street, not to mention vulnerable historic storefronts along Lexington Avenue and so much more. Learn more about New York City’s newest expanded historic district by visiting our website at www.friends-ues.org.

View a map of the Upper East Side Historic District Extension

Learn more about our efforts to expand the Upper East Side Historic District

Research buildings in the extension

Please see below the Upper East Side items on the LPC Agenda for Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Public hearings are held in the Conference Room at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 9th Floor, Borough of Manhattan. Any person requiring reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the hearing or attend the meeting should call or write to the Landmarks Commission no later than five business days before the hearing or meeting. Hearing times are announced on the LPC website, the Friday prior to a hearing.

12 East 76^th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A building constructed in 1881 and altered in 1946 by James Casale. Application is to redesign the facade.
APPROVED

21 East 66th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A neo-Gothic style building designed by Fred F. French and built in 1920-21. Application is to construct a rooftop addition.
LAID OVER.

135 East 35th Street – Upper East Side Historic District
A neo-Federal style rowhouse, designed by Edward Outwater and built in 1903-04. Application is to construct a rooftop addition.
LAID OVER.