South Park Slope Community Group

*Park Slope Courier.*

By Charles Hack

Architects promise that a redesigned condomimium complex will preserve a historic view of Lady Liberty from Green-Wood Cemetery, but opponents say the jury is still out.

The architect behind the new condominium, Robert Scarano, says the redesigned building at 614 7th Avenue will not block an 85-year-old view of the Statue of Liberty from the St. Minerva statue that stands on Battle Hill in the Green-Wood Cemetery.

“I am proud that our reworked design will help to preserve the integrity of this historic site and heighten Minerva’s significance to the community,” Scarano said.

Under the old design, the five-story, 70-foot-tall building with 35 units would have been in the direct path of the two statues.

The new plans show that the fifth floor of the building has been removed along the 23rd Street side of the property for a distance of 15 feet from the street line. This will allow an unobstructed view between the statues, according to the architects.

Borough President Markowitz, who has been supportive of the opponents, said that he is optimistic about the redesign but wants to hear from the community.

“Borough President Markowitz is pleased that the developer is making the effort to preserve the view and to address the community’s concerns,” said Jocelyn Aframe, a spokesperson for the Borough President’s office. “We are in the process of reviewing the proposed modifications and soliciting feedback from the community.”

Opponents question the accuracy of the artist’s renderings, and whether the completed building will really preserve the view.

The history-laden cemetery has some 300,000 visitors each year, and the Battle Hill monument is one of the most popular tourist destinations, according to Richard Moylan, president of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Moylan, who saw the renderings for the first time in a meeting last week, said that he wanted his architects to consider the plans further before passing judgment.

“We are still studying the new design,” Moylan said. “We appreciate the architects went to the effort of redesigning the building, but we want to be sure that the renderings are accurate.”

Moylan said a scale model would help clear any doubts about the accuracy of the renderings.
The architect said he would be prepared to create a scale model for a nominal fee.

He also said his design incorporates a faux-base for the Statue of Liberty into the 7th Avenue facade, giving the optical illusion that the statue is sitting atop the new building.

Moylan said although there continue to be concerns about over-development in the area, the design itself was acceptable.

“It is a nicer looking building than other new buildings in area, and that is to his credit,” said Moylan. “He is using a lot of glass. It’s got a modern look.”

Other community organizers were even more skeptical.

Jeremy Laufer, the district manager of Community Board 7, said that he had not been consulted about the redesign yet, but from what he saw of renderings supplied to him, he was not impressed.

“I don’t think the redesign would meet concerns of the community or the community board,” Laufer said.

Aaron Brashear, a founding member of the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights, was more critical still. He described the new design as a “slap in the face.” He said he would like to have seen a much smaller building.

The plans indicate that there would be an outdoor deck on top of the lower section of the building. If this were used to place outdoor furniture, it may obscure the view, Brashear said.

“I would think that anyone who would spend money to buy one of these condos would want to use the outdoor space,” Brashear said. “If I lived here I would want to put out a grill, table, chairs and a nice umbrella, and this would completely obliterate the view.”

The architects maintain that the Statue of Liberty would be fully visible by an adult standing next to the St. Minerva statue.

Since the bulk and height of the building is within the current zoning laws — R-6 allows a five-story building –the development would be as of right.

Bashear said his organization, with a membership of some 60 residents, is pushing for downzoning of the area because a rash of condominium developments like this one was changing the character of the neighborhood.

The redesign was made in response to demonstrations by local residents who balked at losing the historic view.

Locals first heard about the development when the developer closed his business, National Produce, and started demolishing the building.

Scarano said that in responding to residents’ concerns, the project designer, Dity Ayalon, had been given time to review and improve the design of the interior and exterior.

The square footage has been reallocated to other areas of the building, resulting in no loss of floor space from the original design, according to the architect.

He said that potential buyers and the public at large will benefit from the redesign, which created a building that both “respects and enhances” the community.

_Reprinted with Permission from the Park Slope Courier._