Commission approves mansard and rear addition at 341 Waverly Avenue with staff refinements

The Landmark Preservation Commission on Sept. 16 approved rooftop mansard and rear‑yard additions at 341 Waverly Avenue in the Clinton Hill Historic District, subject to staff review of several finish and proportion details.

Architect Kum (presenter name per record) described a proposal to remove nonhistoric stucco from the rear facade, expose or match existing brick party‑wall work, and add a rear mansard roof with dormers and a modest one‑story rear extension (about 11 feet deep). "The rear yard addition is 11 foot deep," the applicant said, and the design retains a rhythm of grouped windows and a subordinate rear composition.

Public testimony was mixed. Christina Conroy of the Victorian Society said the combined scale of the rooftop and rear additions was "too much for this diminutive house" and urged the applicant to scale back and restore missing historic features such as cornices and windows. Kaylee Johnson of the Historic Districts Council called the application "largely appropriate" but recommended restoring a historic cornice on front and rear facades.

Commissioners and staff discussed visibility, materials and proportions. Staff said the mansard at the rear would recall alterations historically applied to similar row houses and that visibility is limited to oblique, secondary views. Commissioners asked the applicant to work with staff on dormer proportions so the dormer widths better relate to the windows below and to study brick matching after stucco removal.

The commission’s approval finds that the additions will be seen only obliquely and that slate roofing, gray‑painted metal trim, matching brickwork and wood trim at the extended lot‑line facade will harmonize with the row. The applicant will work with staff to match existing brick and refine dormer proportions before final permits are issued.