CLINTON HILL — A townhouse resembling a stone pillar that features a giant arched window has been approved for the Clinton Hill Historic District, despite opposition from neighbors over its appearance.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved the design for the four-story home at 311 Vanderbilt Ave., by architect Ramona Albert, at a Tuesday meeting with a vote of eight in favor and two opposed, an agency spokeswoman said.
The property, which is currently an empty lot, is located inside the Clinton Hill Historic District and its owner needed approval from the commission to move forward with the project.
The proposed plan for the building shows an asymmetrical facade built with light-colored travertine — a type of limestone — and a giant arched window, plans show. The street is currently made up of brownstones and carriage houses.
A rendering of the rear of the building. (Credit: Ramona Albert via the Landmarks Preservation Commission)
Residents and members of Community Board 2 opposed the project, calling it “monolithic” and out of context with the neighborhood, Curbed NY reported.
Yet the LPC approved the design on the condition that the architect work with the commission to modify the facade design, by choosing a new material and picking a darker color that blends in with the surrounding buildings, Curbed reported.
The project must now be approved by the Department of Buildings to move forward.
The plans, which were filed in July, call for a 8,975-square-foot building, of which 5,618 square feet will be used as residential space.
The building would include a basement-level gym and laundry room, a rooftop terrace with solar panels, and a parking garage, the filings showed.
The documents were disapproved by the DOB in August because they were missing several items of required paperwork, including approval from the LPC, a DOB spokesman said.
The property owner — listed as MaryClare Nepogoda Expeditor Inc. on building records — will now have to file a completed application with the DOB to proceed with the project, the spokesman added.
