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PHOENIX FALL REAL ESTA TE/HOMEContinued from Page 14Commission which was formed by the passage of the landm arks Preservation Law of 1965 is responsible for designating historicsites and SllhsenupnHv mnnitnrina thp 1 VV M iv iu v v i k llvpreservation of historic structures. For many neighborhoods in Brooklyn, including the designated areas of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill the law works to hinder the demolition of historic properties and massive alterations on a building that would alter its former character and affect the character of its neighboring structures.Brooklyn Heights was the first neighborhood to be designated an historic district in 1965 and Fort Greene was the most recent addition to the downtown area with its designation in 1978. Critics of the commission say the historic designation spurs gentrification of an area, causing rising property values and developers of landmarked properties claim the Commission%u2019s process for alterations on property known as the Certificate of Appropriateness involves too much time and money.Others hail the Commission for preserving neighborhoods that otherwise may have seen an influx of McDonald%u2019s or owners renovating their houses to suit their particular %u2014perhaps bad%u2014taste. %u201cIt stops people from putting blue polka dots on their house or adding fake brick stucco,%u201d says Pat Rosten of the Brooklyn Heights Association. %u201cI don%u2019t think a historic district could survive without the commission. It keeps the neighborhood in line with its history,%u201d she adds.Four areas fall under the jurisdiction of a landmark designation. Individual designations for single buildings or monuments are given. In addition, building interiors exhibiting special features which are open to the public may be designated as a landmark.As in the case of downtow'n Brooklyn%u2019s surrounding neighborhoods, a historic district may be designated for areas with a special historic or aesthetic value. Finally Cityowned property may be designated as a scenic landmark.The eleven-member commission which is appointed by the mayor includes at least one representative from each borough and is required to include at least three architects, a historian qualified in the field, a city planner or landscape architect, and a realtor. The chairman is the only member to receive a salary.The commission holds monthly public hearings for the issuing of a Certificate of Appropriateness, the approval process necessary for owners of landmarked buildingsto make alterations to the exteriors of their property. Restructed alterations include facade work, changing the color of the buildings, adding new windows or iron worko n r l n r lr lin r t o r l r li f ir.r>n n r n n n r ^ %u2019 - %u201c **v%u00bb M u u iii^ , u u u iu u u o UU IU t i l t p i u p t l .Owners apply for the certificate which is then considered in the public meeting. The commissioners then have 90 days to issue a decision either approving or disapproving the work. %u2014L.K.Certificate Is NeededTo renovate, or build or even paint a building in a designated landmark district, an applicant is required to file for a permit with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. There are three types of permits %u2014 an application for any one must include detailed plans or drawings. Two permits %u2014 a certificate for minor work and a certificate of no effect %u2014 can be granted by the commission%u2019s staff members. The third %u2014 a certificate of appropriateness %u2014 requires a public hearing.A certificate of minor work includes such work as restoring ironwork, replacing windows, or repairing a stoop. Once the permit is granted, the applicant can begin work.To do extensive work inside a house, an owner shoudl apply for a certificate of no effect which states that the work done on the inside will have no visible effect on the outside of the house. Examples are moving a bathroom, removing load-bearing walls, or replacing old staircases. A Building Permit is also routinely required for this kind of work.The third type of permit, the certificate of appropriateness, requires a public hearing based on plans an applicant must file to change the exterior of a building in a way that would change its appearance. Examples include painting a facade, the addition of a floor or greenhouse, or replacing a stoop. The proposal is read at the hearing, including the location, the size of the structure, the design, and the materials, and 11 commission members and representatives of community organizations discuss the proposal. The decision is made by a majority vote of the commission members.Residents are obligated by law to file for a permit if they plan to renovate or build in a landmark district, says Darrell Schulze of the staff. Violations of the law are subject to penalties. Schulze says that summonses are issued until the violation has been corrected.For information, call landm arks Preservation Commission at (212 ) 553-1100.Landmarks Needs More Money To BetterPreserve The Flavor Of Brooklyn%u2019s BuildingsThe following is an editorial that appeared in the %u201c Brownstoner,%u201d a publication of the Brownstone Revival CommitteeBY EVERETT ORTNERWhy, after a hearing in 1966, which resulted in no decision, did the New York '.andmarks Preservation Commission hold a belated series of hearings that resulted in the designation of the Rizzoli and Coty buildings i at 712 and 714 Fifth Avenue) as landmarks? The two buildings, part of an assemblage, were slated for demolition, to be replaced by a 44-story structure.This, among other instances of delayed action, caused Mayor Koch to appoint a committee, chaired by architect Alexander Cooper, to look into the operations of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Now, a year or so later, we have the Cooper Committee%u2019s report.WINDSHIELD SURVEYS The Committee notes that much of the process of designated buildings or areas begins with general surveys (some of them %u201cwindshield%u201d surveys, made from the seat of a moving car), in which likely candidates are noted. In Manhattan, the survey should be complete by this fall. Some pockets of Brooklyn have had a windshield survey, and a similar survey will begin in Queens shortly. Some of Staten Island has been scanned via the windshield and more is scheduled. Most areas of interest in the Bronx were surveyed, under contract, by outside architectural historians.Brownstoners should note, however, that this is only one of the routes to designation The Commission also accepts suggestionsEverett Ortner is chairman of the Brownstone Revival Committee, and a Park Slope resident.from individuals and organizations. lAnd knowledgeable New Yorkers suggest that a letter or phone call from your Councilman to the Commission can be vastly helpful).What would happen if a building or area looks good on a survey and is a likely candidate for designation %u2014 but the hearings calendar is so clogged that it could be years before the Commission could act? That was the nub of the problem the Cooper Committee addressed.First, of course, the Committee suggested that the survey and evaluation process be speeded up %u2014 but only if the Commission could get more money to do the job right. Well. The goal, said the Committee, should be completion of all surveys by 1990. The Cooper Committee estimated that an increase in the LPC budget of $4 million a year would make that possible.But the primary concept offered by the Cooper Committee was the creation of a %u201cprotected building list.%u201d This list, based on the initial survey, would establish a moratorium on building changes, protecting the building until hearing time. To prevent hardship, an owner of a building on the list could ask for a shortened review period (say, 9-12 months); if no designation were made, the building could not be considered again for a period of years %u2014 possibly three to five.All requests for work permits on buildings on the protected list would have to go through the Landmarks Commission %u2014 just as permits for currently designated buildings do now.Residents of brownstone neighborhoods have a vital interest in seeing that the aualitv of their environment is protected. For that, clearly the Landmarks Preservation Commission needs more money and more staff. It also (a private opinion) needs to be shaken out of its slow slide into bureaucratic inaction and restored to its former enthusiasm.*< 0 ^ a # \\ 07A0944 McDonald Ave. Brooklyn, N Y. 11218 (at 18th Ave.)VISA 718-871-1212OPEN Mon Wed 9 00-600 %u2022 late night Thursdays Fri 9 00-2 00 %u2022 Clo sed Sat %u2022 O p en Sun 8 le g a l HolidaysBrooklyn,incThe Voice of Business & Commerce in Brooklyn.There are 32,000 companies doing business right in your own backyard. Reach them in Brooklyn%u2019s exciting business monthly %u2014Serving Brooklyn%u2019s Business Community incNext edition: October 9Deadlines: October 1For information call:7 1 8 -6 4 3 -1 4 0 0We%u2019reProudTo BeP ublished by Serif Press, Inc.395 A tlan tic A ve. B rooklyn N Y 11217September 11, 1986, THE PHOENIX, Page 15