Ridgewood Group Eyes More Local Landmarks

Paul Kerzner, president of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association, is shown addressing residents at the group's Sept. 4 meeting regarding the proposed landmarking of over 90 apartment houses in the area. Seated at the table are Landmarks Preservation Commission representatives Mary Beth Betts, Lisi DeBourbon, Jared Knowles and Megan Schmitt. While embracing a plan to landmark three blocks of Ridgewood rowhouses, members of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association during their Sept. 4 meeting called on the city to designate more historic homes throughout the neighborhood.

Representatives of the Landmarks Preservation Commission provided information regarding the proposal to landmark the Mathews flats apartments houses developed between 1904 and 1920 in an area generally bounded by Forest and Fairview avenues between Gates Avenue and Woodbine Street.

The area contains over 90 of the 2,982 buildings in the greater Ridgewood area that were included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Recognized as one of the largest historic districts in the country, RPOCA members called on the city to act to ensure that all of the buildings are given landmark protection as quickly as possible.

Four LPC representatives were in attendance to explain the landmark process and the requirements each homeowner would face if the landmark district is approved: Mary Beth Betts, director of research; Jared Knowles, deputy director of the LPC Preservation Department; Megan Schmitt, deputy to the executive director of the commission; and Lisi DeBourbon of LPC's public communication office.

Though the proposal is currently in the early stages of review, LPC officials noted that the commission would consider another segment of Ridgewood provided that the first plan is approved. That segment would consist of a number of homes in an area generally bounded by Woodward and Seneca avenues between Catalpa Avenue and Woodbine Street.

History

The large brick tenements housing six to eight families were constructed by Gustave Mathews and his brothers during the early part of the 20th century. Similar structures were also constructed on what was once the Meyerrose Farm along Catalpa Avenue off Seneca Avenue as well as in other areas of Glendale and Ridgewood near the Brooklyn/Queens border.

After these homes were included with other Ridgewood structures on the national register 25 years ago, RPOCA President Paul Kerzner recalled, the LPC approached the civic group with the idea of instituting landmark districts in the area. At the time, he noted, the civic group hesitated due to "strict regulations" that were imposed by the commission.

Since that time, he noted, the group relaxed its regulations regarding the maintenance of landmarked properties and requirements of property owners. Several years ago, the LPC returned to Ridgewood and created the Stockholm Street Landmark District, a one-block segment of the roadway lined with Belgian blocks between Onderdonk and Woodward avenues.

Recently, after being approached by RPOCA and elected officials regarding the creation of additional landmarks in Ridgewood, Kerzner stated that the LPC agreed to consider the cluster of Mathews Flats.

"The message that we'd like to leave with Landmarks is, 'Thank you for coming, and give us everything you can give us,'" he said. "Once we have declared the entire area, I believe we will be the largest landmarked neighborhood in the city."

The landmarking process

Generally, Betts explained, the LPC considers for landmarking buildings which are over 30 years of age and retain a special character or historical interest or value. Currently, there are nearly 1,200 landmarked buildings in 92 historic districts across the five boroughs, including in the Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights and Sunnyside Gardens.

The commission is currently in the early stages of considering the landmarking proposal in Ridgewood, according to Betts. Upon receiving information from the public during community meetings held in the area, the LPC will vote to schedule a public hearing on the plan at a future meeting at their Manhattan headquarters.

All homeowners, elected officials and other interested parties in the designated area will be notified by mail of the session.

Once testimony is received at the public hearing, the commission will review the comments and make a final determination to vote on the matter.

Even if the commission approves the landmark district for Ridgewood, Betts said, the plan must also gain the approval of the Department of City Planning and the City Council for the district to be officially created.

The entire process for the Ridgewood proposal could be completed by the beginning of the next fiscal year in June 2009, Betts added.

What landmarking means

Landmark districts generally preserve the exterior character of homes, according to Knowles, such as windows, doors and brickface. Though any changes previously made to the exterior would be grandfathered into a landmark district, Betts added, homeowners who wish to make exterior changes after a landmark district is enacted would need to receive commission approval.

Small-scale projects would be reviewed and approved by LPC staff, while larger renovations would need to go before the full commission for a report, Betts noted. More than 90 percent of permit applications are reviewed and approved by LPC staff.

Homeowners who violate landmark rules will be forewarned of the problems by LPC inspectors who will visit the location upon receiving a complaint, Knowles said. Property owners have a grace period to respond to the violations and correct them before the agency levies fines.

"We try to work with you. If after we send letters there is no response, we will then issue a monetary penalty," he said.

When asked by a RPOCA member about the benefits of landmarking, Betts responded by noting that the creation of landmark districts help to keep neighborhoods stable and thwart out-of-character development in the area.

Kerzner added that the values of homes in landmark districts have increased over the years, adding that the designation "stigmatizes the neighborhood in a positive way."

"It's only going to be good to us," he added."

Supporting the proposal

Several RPOCA members and historians in attendance offered their support for the effort to landmark the neighborhood and encouraged the LPC to move quickly. Charles Ober observed that the designation would help preserve the community's character by thwarting the destruction of exterior features including brownstone steps and brickfaces.

"In the next 10 years, the character will change" if left unprotected, Ober said. "We need to act now."

Jeff Gottlieb of the Central Queens Historic Association noted that the group approves of the idea while also asking the LPC to provide landmark designation to all other Ridgewood structures on the national register.

Kerzner added that the plan has also received the support of numerous elected officials.

Though several civic members in attendance offered to assist LPC in reviewing data to expedite the landmarking process, commission officials declined, noting that according to regulations, only trained staff may gather and examine data for a landmark proposal.

The next Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of I.S. 93, located on Forest Avenue between Madison and Woodbine streets.