The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is reviewing a proposal for alterations to 17 Montgomery Place, a three-story, two-unit row house in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Designed by Soudry Architect, the project involves modifications to the building’s rear façade, including the enlargement of an existing bay window and the addition of new exterior elements at the lower levels. The property sits midblock between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West within a context of similarly scaled brownstone residences.
Photograph of existing conditions at the rear of 17 Montgomery Place, via LPC proposal.
The scope of work centers on a rear yard addition that extends at the basement and first floor, with a vertically expanded bay window element rising multiple stories. Plans also call for a new sliding door at the basement level, along with a steel deck and railing at the first floor. Drawings show the proposed rear elevation, indicating that most of the work is concentrated at the lower portion of the façade, while the upper stories remain largely unchanged.
Rendering of proposed design at the rear of 17 Montgomery Place, via LPC proposal.
Material specifications outlined in the submission include fiber cement panels for the new addition, painted black, along with black-painted sheet metal cornices and mahogany wood moldings and window frames. Double-hung windows with fixed transoms are proposed at the first floor, maintaining consistency in trim and molding profiles across levels. The design intent appears to align with existing rear yard conditions on the block, where a majority of row houses feature rear additions of varying heights.
Visibility studies included in the application note that the proposed work will have minimal visual impact from the public realm. Photographs and diagrams show that views from Carroll Street are largely obstructed by fencing and vegetation, with only limited visibility during winter months and none during spring and summer when foliage is present.
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Picture Perfect as is..
LPC hard at work protecting the backyard views of New Yorkers.
Yeah, if the interiors aren’t landmark protected, then who the hell cares about the basic brick rear elevation. This is really silly overreach while LPC ignores all the other beautiful historic structures being torn down for modern cheap drek.
LPC and city zoning policies really need a smart overhaul. How much longer?
I’m not really sure how this in anyway would fall under LPC purview as I can find no publicly visible way to see it. Also tangentially related, public views through or over vacant or underdeveloped lots should also be explicitly excluded from LPC purview.