Jackie Gleason was as well known for his signature line “How sweet it is” as he was for his role of Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners. Those immortal words, coming from a native son of Brooklyn, perhaps best sum up the latest news on the expansion of the Park Slope Historic District. After years of advocacy and outreach by the Civic Council, the South Slope is well on its way to final approval as part of a larger historic district.
The expansion will help protect more of Park Slope’s streetscapes and historic buildings, and maintain the scale of the neighborhood. The process of reaching that worthy goal is a lengthy one, made moreso by the outpouring of requests from neighborhoods across all five boroughs. These appeals most likely reflect the dramatic changes wrought by the recent development boom. Long-familiar buildings and cherished blocks were razed, only to be hastily replaced by structures that could be called bland at best and an eyesore at worst. Fearful for the remaining buildings that afforded their neighborhoods a sense of place, these residents pressed the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to preserve what remained.
The Civic Council redoubled its efforts after many fine buildings were lost in the South Slope and close to Fourth Avenue. These efforts — involving surveying, developing a master plan, and conducting outreach and petition drives — were rewarded when the LPC hosted a meeting in late June for 600 building owners in the South Slope. Although we were pleased with this initial step, the LPC’s map initially omitted the north side of 14th Street. In addition to its brick rowhouses with projecting bays, an Art Deco apartment building, and the Park Slope Jewish Center, this block connects to the 14th Regiment Armory between 14th and 15th Streets, itself a landmark building. With the assistance of our elected officials, this block was restored to the expansion area.
The approval process has since gained considerable traction. At its Oct. 14 hearing, Community Board 6’s Landmarks and Land Use Committee heard from a succession of speakers, all in favor of expansion. Some attendees decried the new, out-of-character development; others attested to the history of this area, and particularly to the Ansonia Clock factory and the surrounding homes built for its employees. We were gratified to hear from Kate Daly, the LPC’s executive director, that her agency will review up to 800 buildings in the North Slope this coming year (these buildings are in our Phase 2 proposal for expansion). The committee voted unanimously not only to recommend the South Slope expansion to the full board but also to urge the LPC to expedite its review of subsequent expansion phases.
With this vote in hand, the Park Slope community came out in droves to support the South Slope proposal at an LPC public hearing on Oct. 26. City Councilmembers Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, representatives from the Brooklyn Borough President’s office, State Assemblymembers Joan Millman and Jim Brennan, and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery testified for our proposal. Among the civic organizations backing expansion was the Park Slope Chamber of Commerce with its 105 members. At hearing’s end, LPC Chair Robert Tierney waived a stack of 100 favorable letters from property owners and other Park Slope organizations who could not attend in person.
At the LPC hearing, a request was made to hold open the hearing until Community Board 6 could vote on its Landmarks Committee’s recommendation in favor of expansion, which passed unanimously at its Nov. 10 meeting. In the span of four weeks, our proposal sailed through three public hearings. How truly sweet it is!
What’s next? The LPC will now document the 600 buildings in this expansion area, a step that is part of drafting a designation report. In the latter half of 2011, the commission will almost assuredly approve this designation, after which the protection long sought by the community against demolition or inappropriate alteration will have been secured.
To expedite this process, the Civic Council’s Historic District Committee will soon submit its research on 120 buildings along Seventh Avenue. While one chapter of our work is drawing to an end, the Committee has turned the page to focus on the North Slope buildings.
We welcome any volunteers interested in joining our committee and helping with outreach. Email us at historic.district@parkslopeciviccouncil.org.
— Peter Bray chairs the Park Slope Civic Council’s Historic District Committee. Photo by David Herman.
from the November 2010 Civic News