Three brand-spanking-new townhouses are headed to Brooklyn Heights, thanks to Tuesday's vote by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The LPC approved a proposal to build on a lot at 295-299 Hicks Street, between State and Joralemon streets, that has been vacant since the 1940s. The development first came before the LPC in September, but the commission thought the design was "awkward" and asked for changes.
LPC chair Meenakshi Srinivasan found the applicant's changes "very responsive" to the concerns raised when the project, designed by Krista Demirdache of Nikolai Katz Architect, was first presented back on September 23.
The new design better accentuates the divide between the three buildings at the cornice level. Also, the bay windows on the second floor have been relocated to the first floor with the center unit's bay window being eliminated to create an A/B/A relationship between the townhouses. The windows themselves are also now narrower and shorter. The entrances were also changed. They stand out less now.
Srinivasan said the applicant looked carefully at the details and found it "consistent" with the neighborhood. Commissioner Frederick Bland, who is happy to remind you that he lives in Brooklyn Heights, said they could have gone with a more contemporary design, but instead went with a "more traditional" one and that the result is "quite attractive." Commissioner John Gustafsson also loved the new design, using "fantastic" to describe the bay window situation. They weren't even asked to get rid of the ones on the second floor, but did so anyway, to the commission's delight.
The four-story, single-family townhouses from developer Heights Advisors will feature four bedrooms, and front and rear terraces.
—Evan Bindelglass is a local freelance journalist, photographer, cinephile, and foodie. You can e-mail him, follow him on Twitter @evabin, or check out his personal blog.
· Trio of Narrow Brooklyn Heights Townhouses Fails To Impress [Curbed]
· All 295-299 Hicks Street coverage [Curbed]
· All Landmarks Preservation coverage [Curbed]
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