Renovation on Palisade between Hutton & Franklin

[observer]

Anyone notice the facade renovation they are doing to a building on Palisade between Hutton and Franklin Street. Right side of the street (facing south towards Christ Hospital). The 2nd - 4th floors are a normal colored bricks (maroon) which is fine but the first floor is horrible! They are using shiny granite tiles! 24" X 24" shiny granite floor tiles! It's awful! Who ever authorized the use of these tiles as a facade or even thinks it looks good needs some serious glasses. And not just any normal pair, I mean the thickness of the bottoms of coke bottles. And maybe add some contacts underneath those.

[ExUWSguy]

I agree! I have seen that alteration, along with a number of others in the immediate neighborhood, where perfectly good buildings get really awful - and cheap looking - brick or tile cladding. I suspect the owner's strategy is to "freshen-up" the look of their buildings, in the hopes of filling vacant apartments or stores, etc.

A laudable concept, however - since the neighborhood has no historic district or zoning overlays which might enable JC to regulate the types of materials, there is not stopping it.

In some historic neighborhoods in NYC (where I work in historic preservation) local BID's (business improvement districts) offer grants to property owners to 'improve' their facades using appropriate materials, etc. I wonder if CASID, RNA, etc. have ever tried to get such a program off the ground?

[homegrown]

Many years ago historic designation was considered in the Heights. Be careful what you wish for! Unfortunately along with this designation comes another layer of government which could cost the home owner a huge expense. Example, if you want to install a new front porch, you could be required to go before a board. If what you have chosen does not meet the proper requirements, you could be forced to install something that you might not be able to afford. It is also another way to rid undesirable people from a community. These people are normally the working poor who may own a home, but would not be able to afford the added expense if they needed to do improvements on their property. Some people feel this is a good thing.

As much as I hate some of the facades or colors people use, I would rather live with it. I don't want to lose the personal freedom to paint my house whatever color I happen to choose. Fair but reasonable zoning regulations could go a long way.( yes, I know enforcement is another story) I also like living in a culturally and economically diverse community. It may not be perfect, but I find the people much more interesting and less obnoxious than the pretty and perfect people from downtown or Hoboken.

[observer]

You're right enforcement does go a long way. But where is it? Bright pink (paint & bricks), orange, and various fluorescent combinations are hardly solid choices. How about the god awful “French Provincial” renditions that are done to beautiful turn of the century buildings? From what I can see, RNA has a small handle on code enforcement but one neighborhood association cannot do it alone or should not be doing altogether. Who in the city do we have to bribe to enforce the codes? The “value” of a neighborhood has a lot to do with aesthetics as well as the infrastructure it maintains such as schools, parks, etc. I think it applies similarly to the Broken Windows theory.