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LPC approves modest rear‑yard and rooftop additions at 156 East 70th Street, set back and largely invisible from street
Summary
The commission granted approval for a one‑story rear addition and a set‑back rooftop addition at 156 East 70th Street in the Upper East Side Historic District, finding the rooftop addition minimally visible and directing applicant to match materials and windows with existing details.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a package of work for 156 East 70th Street (Upper East Side Historic District) on April 1, 2025 that includes a modest one‑story rear-yard extension, a rooftop addition set back from the front and rear facades and a reconfigured area way.
Architect Dan Kaplan (Bauerbird Architects) told commissioners the rear addition projects about 7 feet 5 inches into the rear yard and will be clad in brick to match the existing rear wall; the rooftop addition is set back nearly 12 feet from the front façade and will be clad in brownstone-finish stucco to match the building’s front material. The rooftop bulkhead is sloped so the visible profile from the street is minimized; the applicant provided a mockup and rooftop sight-line photos showing that the addition is not visible from street level. A widened area-way and safer stair configuration were proposed to resolve an existing cramped and code‑nonconforming entry condition.
Preservation groups and Manhattan Community Board 8 supported the approach. Commissioners found the rooftop addition and rear yard extension to be modest and compatible with the block where many buildings already have rear additions and rooftop accretions; several commissioners emphasized reuse or careful matching of existing rear brick and asked that high-quality windows and trim be used. The commission approved the application.
