Saint David’s and Another UES Bldg. Get Thumbs-Down from CB 8 Landmarks Committee

Two UES buildings, including one owned by the elite Saint David’s prep school and another in a Museum Historic District, encountered some stiff resistance when they appeared before Community Board 8’s Landmarks Committee, led by co-chairs Anthony Cohn and David Helpern, on June 16 .

Two other projects got a more favorable reaction from the committee.

Architects from all four buildings made their pitches via a Zoom meeting held to deliberate the appropriateness of potential projects in the area.

Controversy arose after Daniella Tapia, project manager for architect David Briggs of Loci Architecture, presented an alteration to 15 E. 88th St., a building owned by the esteemed Upper East Side boys school Saint David’s. The firm was proposing that the double-hung wood windows be replaced with aluminum tilt-and-turn windows, explaining that the latter will help Saint David’s reach its energy-efficiency goals.

This was the only project to receive feedback from public attendees. Lo van der Valk, there to speak on behalf of the Carnegie Hill Neighbors group, expressed the group’s approval for the alterations. Another public attendee registered an opposing view.

“There’s four active renovation projects on this block alone, so I urge the committee to understand the context of four active projects . . . for the quality of life of people living on this block,” said the second speaker, whose identity was not explicitly provided.

When it was the board’s turn to respond, almost every member referenced the proposed window replacements. Gayle Baron, a board member who lives on East 88th Street, said she was astounded by Saint David’s lack of historic preservation given their hefty budget.

“For over 50 years I’ve walked by that house. . . . It is just such a treasure on our block,” said Baron. “I have real concerns about the tilt windows. I do believe that if the windows are not wood, it won’t be in keeping with its historic nature. I know that Saint David’s paid $27 million to purchase” the building.

Indeed, there was great jubilation from the board of Saint David’s in 2022, when the elite boys school was able to acquire the townhouse. It was the last of the four Cutting townhouses, named for the original owners, in the neighborhood, which allowed the school to complete a horseshoe with the three other Cutting townhouses it already owned, ringing Madison Avenue from East 88th to East 89th streets.

“Saint David’s has a very wealthy student body. I know so many families who have children there,” said Jane Parshall, another Landmarks Committee member. “I’m absolutely just amazed that the board at Saint David’s would approve of aluminum windows in that gorgeous Delano and Aldrich masterpiece.”

The rest of the board agreed that aluminum windows were a disgrace to the original architecture.

“You may be able to meet the energy code even if you do the windows in wood,” said Helpern. “I think there’s a moral issue when you think about this building and its windows, so I’m very opposed.”

The changes presented by Loci Architecture and Saint David’s were ultimately given a thumbs-down by the committee. But the board’s passion for historical preservation didn’t end there, as a separate project faced similar criticism.

William Suk of Suk Design Studio proposed alterations to 10 E. 82nd St., which is in the confines of the Metropolitan Museum Historic District. The building was constructed in 1888 by an unknown architect and is admired for being a Neo-Federal rowhouse. Unfortunately, due to a string of alterations starting in the early 20th century, the building became a hodgepodge of styles and has barely retained its original fabric. Suk referred to it as the “ugly duckling” on 82nd Street.

In order to assuage the displeasing look of the building, Suk and his team proposed a major renovation, consisting of façade replacement, door and rooftop additions, as well as expanding each floor outward by an additional eight feet.

Right off the bat, Alida Camp, a Landmarks Committee member, expressed her disdain and did not hold back. “I oppose everything here. I don’t think the façade should be limestone; it looks wrong. I don’t like the double-width doors that you’re putting in place along with the other door. It’s too much,” she asserted. “It doesn’t feel Federal, it doesn’t look Federal. It’s really tall. I oppose rooftop additions. I appreciate that you say you can only see ‘a little,’ but your little may be my ‘a lot,’ and it’s hard to tell from your drawings.”

She wrapped up her statement in disbelief that there was even consideration to expand every floor out by eight feet. Camp’s condemnation was the beginning of the end for Suk, as most successive board members voiced similar negative views.

“You are proposing different kinds of windows that are not consistent with the historical district,” said Marco Tamayo, another board member. “And material is important; wood is the more traditional material.”

With overwhelming reservations from the board, Suk’s project was also not approved.

The meeting concluded with two projects that got the go-ahead, one of which focused on 122 E. 66th St., where the air-conditioning unit was moved above a row of windows to make the building more symmetrical. The other was on 4 E. 66th St. and added window balconettes to match the previously approved modifications on lower floors.

Community boards and committees are advisory, so while they don’t have final say over the fate of any project, their recommendations, pro or con, are considered to be hugely influential for city elected and planning officials.

Our Town reached out to Saint David’s for comment, but the school had not responded by press time.