Cobble Hill Development Gets Green Light from Landmarks Commission

November 15, 2012 By Linda Collins Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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A proposed development at 110-128 Congress St. in the Cobble Hill Historic District is going forward with the recent approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The vote was unanimous, according to Elisabeth de Bourbon, press secretary.

The commission had previously sent the proposal back to the project’s design team for some tweaking.

The site is currently comprised of a row of four Italianate-style rowhouses built circa 1850s and altered for institutional (nursing school) use, and a two-story building built circa 1983.

The proposed project is comprised of two parts — restoring the front and rear facades and constructing rooftop additions on the four existing rowhouses; and demolishing the adjoining two-story modern building in order to construct five new townhouses.

Morris Adjmi Architects is the architect of record on the Department of Buildings (DOB) document, which identifies the owner/developer as Jason Halpern of JMH Development, identified for this project as 118 Congress Street Development.

Among the concerns of commissioners at the earlier hearing was the use of steel for the new side-facing stoops, where wood might be more appropriate; and possibly making the rooftop additions not so visible from the street.

In giving his approval this time, Fred Bland, an architect and Brooklyn representative on the commission, said, “The rooftop addition is highly recessive even though it’s visible.”

Added Commissioner Elizabeth Ryan, a realtor and Brooklyn representative on the panel, “It’s a substantial improvement over what’s going on there at the moment. I think that both the restoration job being proposed and the new building being proposed are very sensitive in terms of scale, massing and detailing, the windows solid to void ratio — all of it to me looks like it’s going to be a seamless addition to the Cobble Hill Historic District.”

67 Greene Ave.

In another unanimous vote at the same October meeting, the commission approved the construction of a new building on a vacant lot at 67 Greene Ave., between Adelphi Street and Clermont Avenue in the Fort Greene Historic District.

The developer, identified in DOB documents as Richard Clark, plans a four-story, two-family structure.

“The efforts towards filling the gaps on this avenue are tremendously important, and we should encourage them,” said Commissioner Ryan.