Commission permits stoop gate at 42 Jane Street, citing neighborhood security needs and calling for simplified detailing

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a stoop gate at 42 Jane Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District on Aug. 12, after the homeowner described repeated trespassing, sleeping, and littering on the front stoop and a failed chain deterrent. Preservation staff presented a map showing prior stoop‑gate approvals in the district and recommended a gate that would match the existing airway ironwork in detail but be lower in height (proposed gate 39 inches vs. existing airway railings at 42 inches). Applicant Jesus Toro described safety, hygiene and security problems and said the family had installed a chain that proved ineffective. The applicant asked for a self‑closing paired gate at the bottom of the stoop; staff noted the gate would be anchored in the brownstone with minimal penetrations and reversible attachment. The Victorian Society opposed the application, calling stoop gates “anti‑urban” and noting the proposed open gate width would intrude on an already narrow sidewalk. Manhattan Community Board 2 recommended approval. Commissioners debated need, design and sidewalk clearance; several commissioners said they would approve on the basis of demonstrated need and context at the end of a row adjacent to a fenced community garden and commercial thoroughfare. The commission approved the gate unanimously but directed the applicant to work with staff to simplify or streamline the proposed ornamental detailing and to verify sidewalk clearance and building‑department requirements for self‑closing hardware.