Commission conditions legalization of West 12th rear reconstruction on lowered cornice and window realignment

The Landmarks Preservation Commission granted conditional approval to legalize alterations and the reconstructed rear facade at 34 West 12th Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District, but required corrective work to align the upper‑floor windows and to lower the newly built cornice.

Architect Steven Conte said the front restoration was completed to a high standard but that during rear‑façade work scaffolding and structural repairs required portions of the wall to be rebuilt; when scaffolding was removed, commissioners found several misalignments in window headers and the new cornice height. The completed rear façade includes a largely reconstructed masonry surface that used salvaged brick but resulted in the top‑floor window heads and cornice sitting above the neighbor’s established line.

Village Preservation urged the commission to require windows be realigned to the previously approved positions. Commissioners agreed: Commissioner Goldblum recommended lowering the cornice to line up with the neighbor to the left and asked staff to work with the applicant on how to clad any roofing materials exposed by lowering the cornice to code limits. Commissioners also directed that the top‑floor window headers and sills be lowered to align with the adjacent building. The commission’s motion approved the reconstruction but made the approval contingent on the applicant completing the corrective work with staff review and sign‑off; the motion passed 8–0.

The commission stressed that reconstruction should, where possible, preserve existing fabric and that architects are expected to monitor construction to prevent significant deviations from approved drawings.