BY JACKSON CHEN | The owner of a block of landmarked tenement buildings, attempting to perform much-needed repairs for residents who complain they’ve been left with apartments in disrepair for far too long, is facing resistance from a surprising quarter. In a tight vote, Community Board 8’s Landmarks Committee has voiced disapproval of a window master plan presented by the building owner’s architect.
On April 18, George Boyle, the architect representing Stahl York Avenue Company LLC, which owns a block of buildings that run from York Avenue to First between East 64th and 65th Streets, presented a plan for outfitting hundreds of windows with aluminum replacements at a public meeting of the committee.
The master plan addresses only four of the complex’s buildings, those closest to First Avenue, representing about a third of the block, but Boyle explained that the owner would undertake similar window replacement on the rest of the complex at a later date.
Unswayed by signs of progress in a complex long the target of tenant complaints, a majority of the committee criticized the plan to replace the neglected and deteriorating window frames, largely on the grounds that they want to see the architect replace the old windows with wood frames, not ones made of aluminum.
“I live in an individual landmark that just did an entire window replacement with wood windows,” said committee member Sarah Chu. “There is an aesthetic, there’s a palpable experience that goes with having wood versus aluminum.”
The board was clearly split on the appropriateness of the material used, with purists arguing for the aesthetic superiority of wood while other committee members pointed to the practicality and durability of aluminum windows.
“Usually I would go for replacing the windows in wood,” said Elizabeth Ashby, another committee member. “But I think that this building is more culturally a landmark than architecturally.”
Even those opposing the window master plan, however, noted their satisfaction that the buildings’ owner is finally taking steps to address disrepair ignored for years.
“The windows are in this state because of the owner’s negligence,” said Chu. “This is the responsibility of the owner, so the people who live in this building… deserve the best that an individual landmark requires.”
Residents of the buildings who were on hand said they’ve been living in slum-like conditions for too long.
Monica McLaughlin, a resident at 430 East 65th Street, said the list of complaints includes leaky faucets, nonfunctional washing machines, broken windows, and holes in the walls.
In the same building, Vincent Basilici said that in those rare instances when repairs are made, they are done so haphazardly, often leading to new problems. He said he’s heard of repairs where faucets were replaced with mismatching hot and cold handles or windows were painted shut.
“About a decade ago, they stopped making any repairs at all,” McLaughlin said. “When tenants would call up to get the repair made, they’d say, ‘Sorry we can’t get the parts.’”
Worst of all, McLaughlin said, was the scaffolding that the owner installed in 2006 but only recently removed. She said the scaffolding festered for years and reached the point of being in danger of collapse.
Residents said they’ve recently noticed that the owner has begun gut renovations of several vacant apartments to rectify damages from years of decay. Some of those units have since been rented out, according to Basilici.
While residents remain suspicious of the intentions behind the owner’s current efforts to repair the complex, CB8 members generally voiced relief that the owner is now showing responsiveness to resident concerns.
“Strange as it may seem, I applaud the landlord for finally stepping up and saying, ‘Yes this is my responsibility,’” said Barry Schneider, CB8 board member. “Let’s see if we can now coerce him or cajole him into being more of a responsible landlord… as he has not done so in decades.”
