1 2 CITY COUNCIL 3 CITY OF NEW YORK 4 -------------------------------x 5 THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES 6 of the 7 SUBCOMMITTEE ON LANDMARKS, 8 SITING And MARITIME USES 9 -------------------------------x 10 January 22, 2008 11 Start: 11:29 a.m. Recess: 12:06 p.m. 12 City Hall 13 Committee Room New York, New York 14 15 B E F O R E: 16 JESSICA LAPPIN Chairperson, 17 18 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Leroy Comrie John Liu 19 Miguel Martinez Annabel Palma 20 Rosie Mendez James Oddo 21 Michael McMahon Daniel Garodnick 22 23 24 LEGAL-EASE COURT REPORTING SERVICES, INC. 17 Battery Place - Suite 1308 25 New York, New York 10004 (800) 756-3410 2 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S 3 Diane Jackier 4 Director of External Affairs NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission 5 Howard Zipser 6 Richard Wade 7 Voelker-Orth House, Bird Sanctuary and Museum 8 Ferdinand Gerber Board Member 9 Voelker-Orth House, Bird Sanctuary and Museum 10 Robert Furman Chair 11 Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance Corporation 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Good morning. 3 Welcome to the Land Use Subcommittee on Landmarks, 4 Public Siting and Maritime Uses. My name is Jessica 5 Lappin, I'm the Chair. We have been joined today by 6 Council Members Jimmy Oddo and Mike McMahon of 7 Staten Island, Council Member John Liu of Queens, 8 Council Member Miguel Martinez of Manhattan, and 9 Council Member Annabel Palma of the Bronx. 10 We're going to start today with an 11 item in Staten Island in Council Member McMahon's 12 district. The Standard Varnish Works Factory Office 13 Building, which is at 2589 Richmond Terrace. 14 I'm going to ask Ms. Jackier from the 15 Landmarks Preservation Commission to come and 16 testify. 17 Welcome. 18 MS. JACKIER: Good morning, Council 19 members. My name is Diane Jackier, Director of 20 External Affairs at the Landmarks Preservation 21 Commission. 22 I'm here today to testify today on 23 the Commission's designation of the Standard Varnish 24 Works Factory Office Building in Staten Island. 25 On April 10th, 2007, the Landmarks 4 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the 3 proposed designation. 4 Six people testified in favor, 5 including representatives of City Council Member 6 Michael McMahon, the Preservation League of Staten 7 Island, the Historic Districts Council, the 8 Landmarks Conservancy, and the Metropolitan Chapter 9 of the Victorian Society in America. 10 Three speakers testified in 11 opposition, including the owner and a tenant of the 12 building. The Commission also received three letters 13 in support and two letters opposed to the 14 designation. 15 On October 30th, 2007, the Commission 16 designated the Standard Varnish Works Office 17 Building a New York City Landmark. 18 Built between 1892 and '93, it's part 19 of what was then to be the largest Varnish Works 20 Factory in the country. The standard Varnish Works 21 Factory Office Building is an important reminder of 22 the industrial history of Staten Island. 23 The construction of the factory here 24 coincided with the rapid industrialization of 25 Northwestern Staten Island, following the opening of 5 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 a freight rail link to New Jersey in 1889. 3 Colin McLean, the contractor for the 4 new rail system and one of the most prominent 5 builders on the East Coast, built and perhaps also 6 designed the Standard Varnish's waterfront factory 7 complex which includes this office building. 8 Fronting on Richmond Terrace, the 9 building reflects nineteenth-century factory design 10 practices in its prominent siting at a corner of the 11 factory works, in the attention given to its 12 architectural detailing, in its two-story form, its 13 use of brick, then the most fire-resistant material 14 available, and in its incorporation of a prominent 15 tower. 16 Like many industrial buildings 17 constructed during this period, it was designed in 18 the American round-arched style and displays such 19 characteristic features as round-arched windows, 20 projecting brick pilasters, patterned string 21 courses, and bold corbelled brick ornament. 22 Founded in 1870 by German Jewish 23 immigrant David Rosenberg, and headed for over 60 24 years by members of the Rosenberg family the allied 25 Toch family, Standard Varnish, later called the 6 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Standard Toch, I guess company, grew to become one 3 of the largest manufacturers of varnishes, enamels, 4 and specialty coatings in the world, with factories 5 in North and South America, Europe and Australia. It 6 was one of the first companies to specialize in the 7 production of varnish for automobiles and its 8 products were used on the Queen Mary and other ocean 9 liners and on some of the largest skyscrapers in New 10 York. 11 Covering more than seven acres, the 12 Elm Park plant remained the company's largest 13 facility. In 1961, Montgomery Ward & Company 14 acquired Standard Toch's industrial division, which 15 it continued to operate as the Standard T. Chemical 16 Company. And production ended at this site in 1982. 17 This building is currently in commercial use as a 18 warehouse. 19 The Commission urges you to affirm 20 the designation. 21 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. And my 22 understanding is while the site itself is many 23 acres, the designation is not. It's just this one 24 building. 25 MS. JACKIER: Correct. 7 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Council Member 3 McMahon, I know you're in support, would you like to 4 make a statement? 5 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: I would. 6 Thank you, Chairwoman. Thank you for your great and 7 continued leadership on the landmarks and other 8 issues in this City as well. 9 Just Ms. Jackier, I am supportive of 10 this, as you know. I think this building in and of 11 itself is architecturally important, and also its 12 embodiment of a very important segment of Staten 13 Island and New York City's industrial manufacturing 14 history makes it very worthy of this designation. 15 I also understand, and I do support 16 it, but I also understand that the owner is opposed. 17 I just want to be clear on the 18 record, as what this will mean to this site. As the 19 Chairwoman astutely pointed out, it is the whole 20 seven-acre site, it is only the one building. 21 MS. JACKIER: Correct. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: And it's only 23 the exterior of the building, correct? 24 MS. JACKIER: Correct. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Correct. So, 8 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 how will they be able to use and maintain this 3 building in the future with the designation? 4 MS. JACKIER: Well, it is currently 5 being used as a warehouse building, and the 6 Landmarks does not regulate use so it can continue 7 in that use, you know, in perpetuity. We would not 8 prevent them from doing anything. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: This is an 10 area that probably, as we lose manufacturing in the 11 City and may some day move to a more retail type of 12 nature, would someone be able to use the space for 13 retail or other commercial use? 14 MS. JACKIER: Absolutely. The 15 Landmarks Commission would review it. If they wanted 16 to change it to retail use and add signage or open 17 up some of the windows for storefronts is something 18 that the Commission reviews all the time and would 19 approve. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Thank you. 21 Again, thank Commissioner Teirney and your staff. 22 People may not believe this, but Staten Island 23 sometimes is the forgotten borough -- 24 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Never heard you 25 say that before. 9 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Never heard 3 that? But the current Administration at the 4 Landmarks Preservation Commission is doing all it 5 can to dispel that name and we thank them for that. 6 Thank you. 7 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: A few items today 8 on Staten Island on the agenda. Great progress. 9 I want to note we've been joined by 10 Council Member Mendez, from Manhattan. 11 Thank you very much. There is nobody 12 else signed up to testify on this item? Oh, I'm 13 sorry, Council Member Martinez. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ: What borough 15 are you talking about? 16 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: With that I'm 17 going to close the hearing on this item, and open 18 the hearing on, why don't we stick with Staten 19 Island, the Gillett-Tyler House, in Council Member 20 Oddo's district. 103 Circle Road. And Ms. Jackier, 21 if you would begin, please. 22 MS. JACKIER: Yes, sure. 23 Good morning, again. Diane Jackier 24 from the Landmarks Commission. I'm here today to 25 testify on the Commission's designation of the 10 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Gillett-Tyler House at 103 Circle Road in Staten 3 Island. 4 On April 10th, 2007, the Landmarks 5 Commission held a public hearing on the proposed 6 designation. Six people testified in favor, 7 including a representative of the owner, and 8 representatives of the Preservation League of Staten 9 Island, the Historic Districts Council, Municipal 10 Arts Society, the Metropolitan Chapter of the 11 Victorian Society in America, and the West Brighton 12 Restoration Society. There were no speakers in 13 opposition. 14 The Commission also received a letter 15 in support of designation from the Rego-Forest 16 Preservation Council. On October 30th, 2007, the 17 Commission designated the Gillett-Tyler House a New 18 York City landmark. 19 This two-story house, built circa 20 1846, is not original to the site. Although it is an 21 impressive surviving example of an early 19th 22 Century Greek Revival-style frame mansion. The house 23 was moved from Enfield, Massachusetts in 1931, when 24 the structures in the area were moved or razed to 25 allow for the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. 11 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Carolyn and Walter Tyler purchased the vacant site 3 for the house from Herbert C. and Marie Louise 4 Frederichs in December of 1930. Mr. Fredericks had 5 purchased the property a year earlier from George 6 Cromwell, the former and first Staten Island Borough 7 President, who had begun to subdivide his family's 8 estate on Todt Hill for development. Easements on 9 the deeds allowed for the continued use of the 10 private road by the new owner for the installation 11 and maintenance of utilities, and restricted the 12 type and location of buildings on the site. 13 At the time Carolyn and Walter Tyler 14 purchased the vacant site in Todt Hill, Charles 15 Ware, a builder in Dorset, Vermont, purchased 16 numerous houses in the proposed flood zone of the 17 planned Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. 18 Many of these homes were moved to Dorset, Vermont, 19 effectively saving them from eminent destruction, 20 however, Ware sold one of the houses to Carolyn and 21 Walter Tyler for their vacant property in Todt Hill. 22 A move of this great distance can be attributed to 23 the interest in Colonial and early 19th century 24 American history that flourished in the late 19th 25 and early 20th Century. 12 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Style-defining characteristics of the 3 house include the simple box form with a 4 slate-shingled, hipped roof, the original 5 six-over-six double-hung windows and functional 6 shutters. Other details include the emphasized the 7 cornic line with wide divided bands of trim, the 8 two-story, Doric pilasters and the fluted Ionic 9 columns and sidelights flanking the door at the 10 recessed entry porch. 11 Despite its move, the building 12 retained a lot of its original features and is an 13 incredible example of this type of house, and the 14 Commission urges you to affirm the designation. 15 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. It's a 16 charming house with a very interesting history. 17 Council Member Oddo, would you like 18 to say anything? 19 COUNCIL MEMBER ODDO: No. I'm sorry 20 Council Member McMahon left. I wanted to put on the 21 record again the fact that the property was once 22 owned by the first Borough President of Staten 23 Island. 24 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Who was a 25 republican? 13 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 COUNCIL MEMBER ODDO: It would have 3 been cute if Mike and I would have had a discussion 4 about that. But the pay must have been better for 5 Borough Presidents back then to be able to live up 6 on Todt Hill. 7 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. 8 We actually do have one other speaker 9 signed up to testify on this item. Howard Zipser, 10 who is here representing the owner. 11 MR. ZIPSER: Madam Chair, members of 12 the Committee, I just want to say briefly on behalf 13 of the owner I wanted to thank the Commission, the 14 Chair and its staff for working closely with myself 15 and the owner in agreeing to the understanding that 16 we would designate a portion of the site and that we 17 would agree only to the exterior designation of this 18 property and to spend the time with my client to 19 have her understand that only the exterior of this 20 property would be designated and that she would be 21 able to continue to remain in her house, and enjoy 22 the house in its present condition, and that she 23 would be under no additional burdens by this 24 designation, and this was a very fruitful 25 understanding we had with the Commission and the 14 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 staff, which is usually always the case. So, I want 3 to thank you and the Commission again for their 4 cooperation. 5 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: The Commission I 6 think was cooperative with both of the owners on 7 Staten Island, which is always helpful and very much 8 appreciated. 9 So, thank you for coming and 10 testifying. 11 And with that, we will close the 12 hearing on this item, unless any of my colleagues 13 have questions? No, okay. 14 Why don't we do the Lord and Taylor 15 building, which is in the Speaker's district, and 16 the Speaker is in support fortunately for 434 Fifth 17 Avenue, which is at 38th and 39th Street. 18 MS. JACKIER: Diane Jackier, from the 19 Landmarks Preservation Commission, speaking on 20 behalf of the Commission's designation of the Lord 21 and Taylor Building in Manhattan. 22 On August 7th, 2007, the Landmarks 23 Commission held a public hearing on the proposed 24 designation. Two people spoke in favor, including 25 representatives of the owner and the Historic 15 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Districts Council. There were no speakers in 3 opposition. 4 The Commission also received a letter 5 of support from Staten Senator Liz Krueger. On 6 October 30th, 2007, the Commission designated the 7 Lord and Taylor Building a New York City landmark. 8 One of New York City's oldest retail 9 stores, Lord and Taylor is recognized as an 10 innovator in the history of department stores. The 11 store traces its origins to the dry goods store 12 established on Catherine Street in 1826 by Samuel 13 Lord and his partner George Washington Taylor. As 14 residential New York continued its northward 15 momentum, Lord and Taylor, like other retailers, 16 followed, relocating several times before moving to 17 Fifth Avenue and 38th Street. 18 Architects Starrett & Van Vleck's 19 1923-14 building makes a turning point in retail 20 design. The dignified, Italian 21 Renaissance-Revival-style store with its prominent 22 chamfered corner, deep copper cornice, austere 23 limestone base and two-story colonnade was the first 24 commercial building along the fashionable Fifth 25 Avenue shopping district then developing above 34th 16 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Street. 3 In 1945, Lord and Taylor elected 4 Dorothy Shaver as president of the store, the first 5 woman to hold that position in a prominent retail 6 store. During her long tenure with Lord and Taylor, 7 Ms. Shaver promoted new trends in home decor, 8 fostered American fashion designers, and created 9 entirely new departments. Under succeeding 10 administrations, Lord and Taylor continued to expand 11 its network of stores nationwide. In 2006, it was 12 sold to the private equity firm NRDC Equity 13 Partners. 14 The Commission urges you to affirm 15 the designation. 16 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Do any of my 17 colleagues have any questions? 18 I think we all know this property. 19 Great. Thank you. I'm going to close 20 the hearing on this item, since there is nobody here 21 to testify, and open the hearing on the Voelker Orth 22 Museum Bird Sanctuary in Victorian Garden, 129-19 23 38th Avenue in Flushing, in Council Member Liu's 24 district. 25 MS. JACKIER: Diane Jackier from the 17 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Director -- from the Landmarks Preservation 3 Commission. I'm here to testify on the Commission's 4 designation of the Voelker Orth Museum in Queens. On 5 September 18th, 2007, the Commission held a public 6 hearing on the proposed designation. Four people 7 spoke in favor, including the president of Voelker 8 Orth Museum and representatives of State 9 Assemblywoman Ellen Young, the Queens Historical 10 Society and the Historic Districts Council. 11 The Commission also received letters 12 of support from Queens Borough President Helen 13 Marshall, City Council Members John Liu and Tony 14 Avella and State Senator Frank Padavan. 15 On October 30th, 2007, the Commission 16 designated the Voelker Orth Museum a New York City 17 landmark. 18 The museum is significant as one of 19 the very few houses remaining from Flushing's early 20 period of suburban development. Its picturesque 21 design and large garden are typical buildings of the 22 late 19th century and recall a period when due to 23 newly expanding transportation networks, Flushing 24 was transformed from a rural area to a suburban one. 25 Many of Flushing's large farms, 18 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 estates and commercial nurseries were purchased by 3 developers, lots were laid out and large sprawling 4 houses surrounded by trees and shrubbery filled the 5 newly graded and paved streets. 6 The Voelker Orth house was 7 constructed circa 1891 as part of the development of 8 the Murray Hill section of Flushing. First owned by 9 James Bouton, this house was built on land that was 10 purchased from the Parsons estate just to the east, 11 and was one of the earliest houses in the 12 neighborhood. 13 Its eclectic style was typical of 14 late 19th Century architectural exuberance when the 15 variety of materials, rooflines and angles used on a 16 house was a way of showing the wealth and success of 17 the owner. 18 German immigrant Conrad Voelker 19 purchased the house in 1899 and it remained in the 20 same family until 1996 when Voelker's last surviving 21 heir, Elizabeth Orth, died. At that time, the house 22 and grounds were converted to a small museum of 23 Queens history, environmental education and a bird 24 sanctuary, according to the terms of her will. 25 The Commission urges you to affirm 19 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 the designation. 3 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: And who runs the 4 museum at this point? 5 MS. JACKIER: I know the 6 representatives are here -- 7 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Okay. 8 MS. JACKIER: So they would be able to 9 talk to you. 10 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Okay. 11 Council Member Liu, I know it's in 12 your district, would you like to make a statement 13 for the record, ask any questions? 14 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Thank you very 15 much, Madam Chairperson, for holding this hearing. 16 I'm very excited that we're about to 17 landmark the Voelker Orth House. There is a very 18 formal name for it, and I will defer to the 19 President of the Voelker Orth organization to give 20 us the precise name of the entire house. But I want 21 to thank the Landmarks Preservation Commission for 22 diligently seeking out places in Flushing that are 23 worthy of landmarking status, and the Voelker Orth 24 House certainly falls into that category. 25 So, I would urge you, Madam Chair, 20 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 and my fellow colleagues on this Subcommittee, to 3 give favorable consideration to landmarking this 4 important historical site. Thank you. 5 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you, 6 Council Member Liu. 7 Thank you, Ms. Jackier. 8 We have Roland Wade and Ferdinande 9 Gerber from Voekler Orth who both signed up to 10 speak, to be followed by Mr. Furman. 11 You can both come up together, if 12 you'd like. 13 And if you could introduce yourself 14 for the record and begin, that would be great. 15 MR. WADE: Okay. My name is Roland 16 Wade. I am the President of the Voelker Orth Museum, 17 Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden in Flushing New 18 York. 19 MR. GERBER: Hello. I'm Fred Gerber, 20 I'm Board Member at the Voelker Orth House Museum. 21 MR. WADE: All right, would you like 22 our brief statement? 23 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Yes. 24 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Please. 25 MR. WADE: Okay. 21 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Madam Chairwoman, Councilman Liu, and 3 members of the Landmark Commission for the City 4 Council of New York, we thank you for inviting us 5 here today on behalf of the Voelker Orth Museum. 6 You know, Flushing, and Miss 7 Elizabeth Orth in Flushing, was the last survivor of 8 her family. She loved Flushing and its history, and 9 at the time of her parents, and her early childhood, 10 between 1900 and 1930 were especially important for 11 Ms. Orth. This was the happiest time of her life. 12 And Flushing was rich in history. From the Flushing 13 Remonstrance, declaring religious freedom and 14 America's first nursery, the Prince Nursery, which 15 was established in 1737 and the Parsons Nursery 16 established in 1838. 17 Ms. Orth's home at 149th Place and 18 38th Avenue, which was originally called Lincoln 19 Avenue, was within walking distance of these places 20 of great historic significance. And you know that 21 Richard Altcott (phonetic) was drawing and writing 22 his Buster Brown Cartoon in Waldheim (phonetic0 23 which was in the neighborhood nearby her home. 24 So, Ms. Orth grew up in a Buster 25 Brown kind of atmosphere, and so she wanted to have 22 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 her home left because as a last remaining survivor 3 of her family, they were of German-American 4 immigrants, who had made a great contribution to the 5 early history of New York and Flushing. She left her 6 home as a repository for birds, as a bird sanctuary, 7 as a Victorian garden and as a home of historic 8 significance of life at the turn of the 20th 9 century. 10 So, we are here to endorse Ms. Orth's 11 dream, and we urge the City Council to please 12 approve this landmark designation because we think 13 that it fills an important niche in the history and 14 the education of New Yorkers. 15 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you very 16 much, Mr. Wade. 17 Mr. Gerber, would you like to make a 18 statement? 19 MR. GERBER: Oh, Chairperson and 20 Councilman Liu, members of the Council, we thank you 21 for the opportunity to be here. 22 I came to New York about 40 years ago 23 from New Jersey, and you might ask yourself, New 24 York has so many historic sites, why do we need 25 another one? Well, unlike so many, the Voelker Orth 23 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 was not a residence of someone famous, no important 3 person lived there or resided there, no major event 4 or earthshaking activity took place there. It's 5 important because it's a home of the people, that's 6 typical of the great army of immigrants that came to 7 New York, New York City working their way up into 8 the growing new middle class. As Mr. Wade said, 9 these happen to be German-American immigrants, but 10 they could have just as well been any of our ethnic 11 groups that followed in these footsteps. Here they 12 made their money in the printing industry publishing 13 newspapers, which was such a great part of a growing 14 City and then becoming part of the police force as 15 the police surgeon tending to New York's growing 16 army of New York's finest men and women. 17 As they worked their way up, they 18 created their own environment. They saw the world 19 around them, and like all of us they wanted to have 20 a pleasant environment to live in. The Voelker Orth 21 House Museum, Victorian Garden and Bird Sanctuary 22 shows how the new middle class spent their leisure 23 time from the late 1800s to early 1900s, bringing 24 together history and horticulture and nature. 25 The story of the Voelker Orth family 24 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 is really the story of all of us, working our way up 3 in the City, and in the past 40 years I've been 4 here, I've seen so many of these great homes in the 5 Flushing and Queens area disappear. The Voelker Orth 6 House deserves preservation as one of these 7 disappearing group of representative buildings of 8 the historic Victorian period and for this reason we 9 appreciate the consideration of the landmark status, 10 and most of all, we appreciate the chance that we 11 can come here and speak to all of you and we thank 12 you for your time. 13 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you for 14 taking the time to speak to us today. 15 Council Member Liu. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Thank you, Madam 17 Chairperson. I want to thank these gentlemen for 18 testifying in favor of Landmarking this important 19 site. I just have a couple of questions. 20 One is, who is the entity that is 21 charged with the permanent upkeep, the indefinite 22 upkeep of this house and the gardens and the 23 sanctuary? 24 MR. WADE: We have a Board of 25 Directors, which was originally chosen three members 25 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 each, three members from the Queens Historical 3 Society, three members from the Queens Botanical 4 Garden, and three members from the Theodore 5 Roosevelt Autobahn Society. 6 And so, we have now gone through that 7 period in the last five years of organizing, 8 restoring the house and establishing it, and now the 9 Board is an entity to itself and we can collect 10 members, new members into the Board. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Great. And my 12 understanding is that the Board is well endowed by 13 Mrs. Voelker Orth to be able to maintain this house 14 indefinitely? 15 MR. WADE: Yes. Ms. Orth had provided 16 amply for the restoration of the house, which has 17 been done and for its continued use. If only the 18 stock market holds up, we hope. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Well, 20 landmarking, in my opinion, landmarking in New York 21 City is a tremendous honor, but, of course, it 22 carries with it responsibilities, and so it is your 23 estimation that the Board will be able to uphold 24 this responsibility indefinitely into the future? 25 MR. WADE: We have every intention to 26 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 do so. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Great. 4 And one final question. Do we have to 5 wait until October for the next beer party? 6 MR. WADE: No, we have one planned in 7 May. We're going to have a Mayfest, which will be in 8 celebration of May Wine, and good food, and a nice 9 outdoor festival. 10 On the afternoon of that day, we plan 11 to invite senior citizens from several of the senior 12 residences, and so they will have an afternoon, and 13 then that evening will be provided for the general 14 public and friends of the house. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Great. 16 Well, Madam Chair, I will certainly 17 take it upon -- 18 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: I think you 19 should invite all of the members of the Subcommittee 20 to both the wine tasting and the beer event in the 21 fall. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: You're not going 23 to get better dark draft in New York than at the 24 Voelker Orth House. 25 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: That sounds like 27 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 a challenge. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Thank you. 4 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you very 5 much. 6 We have one more person signed up to 7 testify on this item, Robert Furman. I don't think 8 your mic is on, Bob. 9 MR. FURMAN: Now it's on. Sorry. 10 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. 11 MR. FURMAN: Chairwoman Lappin and 12 members of the Subcommittee and visiting Council 13 members, my name is Robert Furman. I am testifying 14 as Chairman of the Four Borough Neighborhood 15 Preservation Alliance Corporation in favor of the 16 designation of the Voelker-Orth Bird Sanctuary and 17 Museum at 49-19 38th Avenue in Flushing, Queens, as 18 an individual New York City landmark. 19 First, I would like to thank the 20 Chairman Robert B. Tierney of the Landmarks 21 Preservation Commission for designating the house 22 and Council Member John Liu for supporting the 23 designation. This is an important step towards 24 redressing the shortage of designated landmarks in 25 Queens. 28 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 The house is the oldest 3 suburban-style house in Flushing, dating from 1891 4 when the construction of new Long Island Railroad 5 lines facilitated commutation and led to the 6 conversion of the area from country to suburb. 7 The variety of materials, colors, 8 textures, and angles used in the house's 9 construction was a way of showing the wealth and 10 success of the owner. The streets of Flushing had 11 many such houses at the time, but very few of them 12 remain today. Because the house was lived in by 13 members of the same family for nearly 100 years, the 14 house has survived in excellent condition. 15 The current use as a museum has 16 served to preserve it for future generations. Of 17 particular note are the grounds which are a rare 18 Victorian garden, which is in fact worked with 19th 19 Century methods and thus serves as a unique 20 educational tool for adults and children alike. 21 I also liked when I visited it that 22 it's used as a bird sanctuary, which is something 23 that we don't have enough of in the City. 24 The Voelker-Orth House is a rare and 25 beautiful survivor of New York's countrified 29 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 suburban past and richly deserves this designation. 3 Thank you very much. 4 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. 5 I don't think we have any questions. 6 So, with that, the hearing on this item is closed. 7 I wanted to move to the Eberhard 8 Faber Pencil Company historic district, which is in 9 Council Member Yassky's district, and I'd ask Ms. 10 Jackier to come back and testify. 11 MS. JACKIER: Thank you. 12 Good morning, again, Council members. 13 Diane Jackier, of the Landmarks Preservation 14 Commission. I'm here to testify on the Commission's 15 designation of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company 16 Historic District in Brooklyn. 17 On July 24th, 2007, the Landmarks 18 Commission held a public hearing on the proposed 19 designation. Five people spoke in favor, including 20 representatives of the Municipal Art Society, the 21 Historic Districts Council, the Landmarks 22 Conservancy, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of 23 Greenpoint in Williamsburg and the Roebling Chapter 24 of the Society for Industrial Archeology. 25 One owner representative questioned 30 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 the boundaries of the district. There were no 3 speakers in opposition. The Commission also received 4 letters and e-mails and support from City Council 5 Member David Yassky, and the Metropolitan Chapter of 6 the Victorian Society in America. 7 On October 30th, 2007, the Commission 8 designated the area a New York City Historic 9 District. 10 The Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory 11 Historic District occupies parts of two square 12 blocks in the Brooklyn Greenpoint neighborhood along 13 Greenpoint Avenue, West Street and Kent Street. 14 Originally, the MW Faber Company, the 15 Eberhard Faber Pencil Company was founded by 16 Eberhard Faber in 1861. Following a disastrous fire 17 at the Manhattan Plant in 1872, Faber moved the 18 factory to Brooklyn, where it remained until 1956. 19 The company is credited with bringing 20 German lead pencil-making techniques to the United 21 States and Faber grew to become one of Brooklyn's 22 most important factories, employing hundreds of 23 workers, most of which were women. 24 The earliest structures located on 25 West Street, and extending the full block between 31 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Kent Street and Greenpoint Avenue, all date from the 3 1860s to the early 1880s. These buildings are 4 decorated with stone lintels that display the 5 company's logo, a feature that Faber trademarked for 6 use on his pencils in 1861. 7 Most of the buildings in the historic 8 district date from the mid-1880s to the 1910s, and 9 were designed to compliment the earlier structures, 10 displaying elements of the German Renaissance 11 Revival style, such as segmental lintels, carefully 12 detailed brickwork, and corbels, as well as 13 pedimented parapets that display Faber's start and 14 diamond motif. 15 The final building in the district 16 was constructed in 1923 to '24. It is the complex's 17 signature building and the largest structure in the 18 historic district. 19 Six stories tall, the upper floor is 20 embellished with stars and pencils, gigantic glazed 21 terra cotta reliefs that proudly advertised the 22 company's main product to pedestrians and passengers 23 using the nearby ferry. 24 Not only did the company become a 25 significant presence in Greenpoint, Eberhard Faber 32 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 also turned into a nationally recognized brand name. 3 Built over several decades, these buildings provide 4 a concise history of the development of industrial 5 architecture in Brooklyn, and still serve as a 6 reminder of one company's rise to national 7 prominence. 8 The Commission urges you to affirm 9 the designation. 10 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: How is the main 11 building being used now? 12 MS. JACKIER: As far as I know, it's 13 currently manufacturing use. 14 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: And who is the 15 owner of that building? 16 MS. JACKIER: I don't have that, but I 17 could get it to you. 18 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Okay. 19 Council Member Yassky, would you like 20 to say something? 21 COUNCIL MEMBER YASSKY: Yes, thank 22 you. First of all, let me just thank Diane and the 23 Commission for moving forward with this. This is I 24 think, as she said in her testimony, I have written 25 in support of this, and I am testifying in support 33 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 of it. 3 It will, like the previous, add to 4 our non-Manhattan efforts at preservation. The 5 buildings themselves are distinctive and attractive 6 and the architecture is significant, the history of 7 the building, and the company, we've all used their 8 pencils, I think they're still the main brand of 9 pencil maybe, maybe Staples has overtaken it, but it 10 has an important role in Brooklyn's industrial 11 history, and I urge the Committee to adopt the 12 designation. 13 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: This is where I 14 tell you all that my great grandfather named the 15 Ticonderoga pencil, which is a rival to the Eberhard 16 pencil. There you go. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER YASSKY: That's, of 18 course, the more significant -- 19 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: It has no bearing 20 on this designation whatsoever. 21 Thank you very much. 22 There is nobody else here signed up 23 to testify on this item, so with that, this hearing 24 is closed. 25 It's a busy agenda today. We're going 34 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 to move to 511 and 513 Grand Street, which are in 3 Council Member Gerson's district. 4 MS. JACKIER: Okay, great. I did these 5 together, since they are sort of sister buildings. 6 Diane Jackier again from the 7 Landmarks Commission, here to testify on 511 and 513 8 Grand Street in Manhattan. 9 On July 24th, 2007, the Landmarks 10 Commission held a public hearing on proposed 11 designations. Four people spoke in favor of 511 12 Grand Street, including representatives of the 13 Society for the Architecture of the City, the 14 Historic Districts Council, and Landmarks 15 Conservancy. Testimony in support from historian 16 Joyce Mendelsohn were read into the record. 17 Six people spoke in favor of 513 18 Grand Street, including the owners, and 19 representatives of the Society for the Architecture 20 of the City, the Historic Districts Council and the 21 Landmarks Conservancy. 22 Testimony in support from historian 23 Joyce Mendelsohn was also read into the record. No 24 one spoke in opposition to the designation. 25 In addition, the Commission received 35 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 a letter of support from City Council Member Alan 3 Gerson. On October 30th, 2007, the Commission 4 designated the building a New York City landmark. 5 Built circa 1827 to 1828 as an 6 investment property by James Lent and Henry Barclay, 7 the rowhouses at 511 and 513 Grand Street are 8 remarkable surviving examples of the federal-style 9 house in Manhattan. 10 The buildings retain their original 11 two and a half story height, peaked roof and 12 pedimented dormers. 13 Located on Grand Street, a busy 14 thoroughfare, the buildings have had a succession of 15 tenants since the 1840s. Their survival is 16 significant to the understanding of the development 17 of this neighborhood. 18 The Commission urges you to affirm 19 the designations. 20 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. And I 21 should note that Council Member Gerson is in support 22 of this as well. 23 I don't have any questions. Do any of 24 my colleagues? 25 Okay, the hearing on both 511 and 36 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 513, those hearings are closed. 3 I want to open the hearing on the 4 last item on the agenda, which is Manhattan House, 5 200 East 66th Street in Council Member Garodnick's 6 district. 7 I know he's next door and wanted to 8 join us. Okay, great, we'll get started. 9 Thanks, Ms. Jackier. 10 MS. JACKIER: Diane Jackier from the 11 Landmarks Commission, to testify on the last 12 designation before you today, that's Manhattan House 13 in Manhattan. 14 On April 10th, 2007, the Landmarks 15 Commission held a public hearing on the proposed 16 designation of Manhattan House. Thirteen people 17 spoke in favor, including Council Member Daniel 18 Garodnick, State Senator Liz Krueger, and 19 representatives of State Assemblymember Jonathan 20 Bing, Docomomo US/New York Tri-State, the Historic 21 Districts Council, the Friends of the Upper East 22 Side, the Landmarks Conservancy, the Modern 23 Architecture Working Group, the Municipal Arts 24 Society, as well as several tenants in the building. 25 There were no speakers in opposition. 37 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 The Commission also received numerous letters in 3 support of designation. On October 30th, 2007, the 4 Commission designated Manhattan House a New York 5 City landmark. 6 Manhattan House, an Upper East Side 7 apartment and retail complex, was constructed 8 between 1947 and 1951. Commissioned by the New York 9 Life Insurance Company, it occupies an entire City 10 block, bounded by East 65th Street and East 66th 11 Street, from Second to Third Avenue. 12 Designed by Mayer & Whittlesey, and 13 Skidmore Owings & Merrill, this modern-style 14 apartment house is impressive for its impressive 15 size, plan, massing and color. Considered by many as 16 the first white brick apartment building, it was 17 also notable for being one of the first multiple 18 dwellings in New York City to attempt an 19 indoor-outdoor synthesis through the integration of 20 large windows and deep projecting balconies, as well 21 as landscaped driveways and a block-long rear 22 garden. The building generated considerable media 23 attention and received an award from the New York 24 Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 25 1952. 38 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 Famous residents have included Benny 3 Goodman, Grace Kelly, designer Florence Knoll and 4 Skidmore Owings & Meril architect, Gordon Bunshaft, 5 who participated in the design of the building. 6 Although many other white brick 7 buildings have been constructed to imitate Manhattan 8 House, none of them have matched its aesthetic 9 standards. It remains to this day one of the most 10 distinguished examples of housing built in New York 11 City since the Second World War. 12 The Commission urges you to affirm 13 the designation. 14 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. It's 15 obviously an interesting and very significant 16 structure, that I have walked by many times. 17 Council Member Garodnick has joined 18 us. It's in his district. Would you like to make a 19 statement for the record? 20 COUNCIL MEMBER GARODNICK: I would 21 love to. Thank you, Madam Chair. I will be very 22 brief, but I appreciate your allowing me just to say 23 a quick word in support of this designation. I did 24 testify before the Landmarks Commission, as you've 25 heard, in support. 39 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 This is one of those distinct 3 buildings, the white brick you heard, and the first, 4 and it is particularly significant when you think 5 about what Ms. Jackier described as the 6 indoor/outdoor synthesis, and the feeling of those 7 gardens and the floor to ceiling windows in a 8 district such as mine which has the least amount of 9 park space of any one of the 51 districts. It is 10 significant when we have buildings like this. It 11 enjoys the support of the residents, it enjoys the 12 support of the Friends of the Upper East Side 13 historic districts, Carnegie Hill neighbors and 14 others. Ms. Jackier I think went through all of it, 15 but I just wanted to add my voice in support. I 16 think this is a unique, distinct building and very 17 worthy of preservation, so I ask that you and your 18 colleagues on this Subcommittee to support the 19 application. 20 Thank you. 21 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Thank you. Thank 22 you for taking the time to come and share your views 23 with us. 24 Ms. Jackier, there is no other items 25 on the agenda, nobody else signed up to testify, so 40 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 this hearing is closed, and I wanted to ask Counsel 3 to call for a vote and I recommend a favorable vote 4 on all items on the agenda. 5 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Chair Lappin. 6 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: Aye. 7 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Council Member 8 Martinez. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ: Aye. 10 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Council Member 11 Palma. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER PALMA: Aye. 13 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Council Member 14 Mendez. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER MENDEZ: Aye. 16 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Council Member 17 Oddo. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER ODDO: Aye. 19 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: By a vote of 20 five in the affirmative, none in the negative, no 21 abstentions, items are referred to the full Land Use 22 Committee. 23 CHAIRPERSON LAPPIN: I know Council 24 Member Liu is just next door, so if we could hold 25 the vote open for him and give him the opportunity 41 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 to come back and vote, it would be great. And if 3 Council Member Comrie is downstairs, then we can -- 4 let's hold the vote open for like ten minutes to 5 allow them just to come up and vote. And with that, 6 the meeting is adjourned. 7 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Council Member 8 Liu. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Yes. 10 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: The vote stands 11 six in the affirmative, none in the negative, no 12 abstentions. 13 Council Member Comrie. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: What's the 15 vote total? 16 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: Six in the 17 affirmative. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: I vote aye on 19 all. I want to congratulate all of the six -- which 20 items did we -- did we table any of the items? 21 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: No. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: All right, 23 great. Then I would like to thank you for having 24 such a long agenda and doing it in such a quick 25 order and congratulate the Chair and the Committee. 42 1 LANDMARKS, SITING AND MARITIME USES 2 I vote aye on all. 3 COUNSEL TO COMMITTEE: The vote stands 4 seven in the affirmative, none in the negative, no 5 abstentions. 6 (Hearing concluded at 12:06 p.m.) 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 43 1 2 CERTIFICATION 3 4 5 STATE OF NEW YORK ) 6 COUNTY OF NEW YORK ) 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified 10 Shorthand Reporter, do hereby certify that the 11 foregoing is a true and accurate transcript of the 12 within proceeding. 13 I further certify that I am not 14 related to any of the parties to this action by 15 blood or marriage, and that I am in no way 16 interested in the outcome of this matter. 17 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto 18 set my hand this 22nd day of January 2008. 19 20 21 22 23 --------------------- 24 CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25 44 1 2 C E R T I F I C A T I O N 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified Shorthand 10 Reporter and a Notary Public in and for the State of 11 New York, do hereby certify the aforesaid to be a 12 true and accurate copy of the transcription of the 13 audio tapes of this hearing. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ----------------------- CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25