Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Streetscape Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
LPC declines immediate approval for new flagpole on Soho storefront, urges broader storefront plan
Summary
The Landmarks Preservation Commission took no action June 10 on an application by a retail tenant to install a flagpole at 594 Broadway, citing concerns about cumulative banners and streetscape clutter and urging the owner to propose a coordinated plan or consider a blade sign.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 10 declined to grant a flagpole approval for Athleta at 594 Broadway in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District extension, asking the applicant and property owner to consider a coordinated signage plan for the full building.
Engineer Daniel Ash, representing tenant Athleta and landlord GFP Real Estate, said the proposed flagpole would match nearby approved flagpoles and be sited to create visual balance with adjacent storefronts. "Their preference is to have a flagpole," Ash said, describing the proposed location between existing flagpoles on neighboring properties.
Preservation commenters and Manhattan Community Board 2 opposed. Christina Conroy of the Victorian Society said decades of approvals have produced a cluttered streetscape and urged the commission to begin denying additional banners: "The resulting cacophony and clutter means each additional banner adds less and less benefit," she said. Manhattan Community Board 2 recommended denial.
Commission discussion emphasized cumulative effect on the streetscape. Some commissioners said the building could possibly support two flagpoles if a symmetrical composition were developed and the landlord submitted a unified plan; others said the block already has too many banners and opposed any additional flagpole. The commission advised the applicant that a blade sign could be approved at staff level and encouraged the owner to present a holistic proposal for two symmetrical flagpoles if desired.
Outcome: No action taken; applicants may pursue a blade sign at staff level or return with a revised, coordinated proposal addressing cumulative impact on the streetscape.
