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Commission approves retroactive stoop gate at West 12th Street after neighbors and community board back the owner
Summary
The Landmarks Preservation Commission retroactively approved an iron stoop gate at 182 West 12th Street, installed without a permit to address safety and sanitation concerns; the Victorian Society opposed the gate, but the commission accepted neighbor support and a community‑board condition for automatic closure.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a retroactive application (LPC25‑085) on Jan. 27 to legalize an iron stoop gate installed at the bottom of a townhouse front stair at 182 West 12th Street.
Architect Eric Schuffel said the owner installed the custom gate to address persistent safety and hygiene problems — people sleeping and leaving drug paraphernalia on the stoop — and later retained counsel to apply for legalization. Schuffel showed photos and close‑ups, and said the gate was custom fabricated to match existing historic stair railings.
John Graham, speaking for the Victorian Society in New York, urged the commission to reject the gate, arguing stoop gates disrupt the transitional public‑private character of stoops and harm streetscape continuity. The applicant and a nearby neighbor offered a supporting letter; Brooklyn Community Board recommended approval provided an automatic closure device is installed.
Commissioners discussed clearance and accessibility with the gate open and technical details about automatic closures and swing clearances. The commission approved the application (vote recorded 6–0) and asked staff to ensure the gate has an automatic closer and that details addressing accessibility and safety be finalized at staff level.
