By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — Plans to refurbish a Greenwich Village school received some star-powered support at a community board meeting on Thursday night.
New York designer Nanette Lepore’s husband Robert Savage, who is president of his wife’s famed clothing company, turned out on behalf of the couple to bolster City and Country School’s application to Community Board 2 for renovations.
The couple’s daughter, Violet, is currently a student at the West 13th Street school.
“I have given my strong support for the development of the plan of the school as improves the overall feeling and look of the block,” said Savage, in front of the full board. “I have seen the project and I believe it to be perfectly appropriate for the Greenwich Village Historic District.”
The application submitted is for a rooftop addition and yard space, along with access improvements for the disabled.
The resolution to approve the plan was passed unanimously at the full-board meeting, despite concerns by some board members.
“In relation to the rest of the Historic District, it would be a considerably higher than the revival buildings,” said Sean Sweeney, the Landmarks and Public Aesthetics Committee Chair for Community Board 2. “We were concerned it would set a bad precedent, but they’re not pushing the envelope of what they can do.”
Because City & Country School is a community facility, it is allowed to build higher than the private buildings on the block. It is currently four floors and has 339 students, age 2 to 13.
Final approval rests with the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Lepore and Savage are also strong activists for New York City’s Garment District, which has been in decline for several years as a fashion manufacturing outpost.
