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Commission legalizes clear transoms at 1219 Dean Street after staff finding on prior removal
Summary
The Commission approved legalization of clear transom replacements at 1219 Dean Street in Crown Heights, finding that the second‑floor stained glass had been removed by a prior owner and that parlor‑floor stained glass was reinstalled; commissioners authorized clear glass at the 2nd floor with findings that the change did not diminish district character (8–0).
The Commission approved a request to legalize the replacement of stained‑glass transom windows with clear glass at 1219 Dean Street, part of the Crown Heights North Historic District, after weighing staff guidance and testimony from preservation groups.
James Schafer, representing the building owner, said parlor‑floor transoms were recovered on site and reinstalled but that second‑floor transoms had been removed before the current owner’s purchase. HDC and the Victorian Society urged the Commission to require stained‑glass replacements, citing the rarity of stained transoms on Romanesque‑Revival row houses; Christina Conroy said their removal “would destroy significant historic material.” Commissioners noted staff rules that allow greater flexibility where stained glass was missing at designation, found that the second‑floor transoms had been removed by a prior owner, and concluded that the presence of clear glass at the 2nd floor would not draw undue attention and would not diminish the district’s character. The Commission’s motion to approve the legalization passed 8‑0.
