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Commission approves stoop gates for two South Village tenements over preservation objections
Summary
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved matching full-width stoop gates at 140 and 142 West 4th Street, citing trespassing and tenant-safety concerns; the Victorian Society opposed the work as incompatible with tenement stoops and the district's historic character.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted 7-0 on Jan. 13 to approve matching stoop gates for two Renaissance Revival tenement buildings at 140 and 142 West 4th Street in the South Village Historic District.
Commissioner Chen moved to approve LPC 26-04689 (140 West 4th Street), saying the work "will not damage or eliminate any significant architectural features" and citing the buildings' location on a busy commercial thoroughfare and public-park edge as having led to trespassing and safety concerns. Commissioner Mahan seconded the motion; the roll call recorded seven ayes and no opposition. A second, nearly identical motion approving LPC 26-04688 (142 West 4th Street) was adopted 7-0.
Opponents urged the commission to reject the applications during public testimony. John Graham of the Victorian Society in New York argued that "stoop gates detract from the appearance of historic streetscapes" and are inappropriate for shared tenement stoops, which traditionally form a semi-private interface between building and sidewalk. Hearing staff noted that Manhattan Community Board 2 recommended approval.
The applicant said tenants had reported harassment and open-air drug use on the stoops and that gates were being requested to address quality-of-life and safety problems affecting the 24 apartments in each building. Commissioners discussed precedent and whether the commission had previously approved stoop gates on tenements; staff said approvals have generally involved row houses, though a parsonage on the same block had received a gate previously.
The approvals include findings that the proposed ironwork recalls existing fire-escape ironwork, that gate supports will be anchored with a limited number of penetrations and that the installations are reversible. The commission closed the hearing on the items before moving forward with the motions.
The approvals are final as recorded at the meeting; the commission did not attach additional conditions in the motions.
