building at 74 East 79th Street

LL issues aside, I'm interested in the history of this building. It appears to have old townhouse fronts grafted on to its street side. How and when was this done? I'm not sure I've seen anything like it, except when new high-rises are installed with existing facades preserved.

jjj

its a fascinating building and i am sure there are articles u could google from when it was re-done likely in the 1980's

It is indeed a twisted story:

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/07/realestate/behind-the-facades-or-adventures-on-e-79th.html

If it were up to me I'd give each Community Board a "budget" of perhaps 1 acre to landmark. (i.e., to landmark a new property that would put your CB "over budget", you'd have to deregulate another one). And obviously you'd have to compensate the owner for loss of FMV, as with eminent domain, paid for by heavily taxing the capital gains of deregulated properties.

Hard to fathom that an unelected agency can cause an entire 20-block region to become set in stone, forever. Maybe in a place like Jamestown where historic tours are the only thing they've got going, but in the middle of the dynamic engine of America's economy? Insane.

You might be happier in Texas.

So if you have utilized most of your air rights and the your block is land-marked, you likely benefit as people do like land-marked blocks. Of course land-marked windows will cost you dearly. But if you have plenty of air rights remaining, you are screwed if your block is land-marked. As a minimum LPC should be less restrict about ensuring exact replicas of windows.

There is no reason for a transit-rich neighborhood like the UES to impose vertical limits in the first place. If you live above your neighbor and want to preserve that view in perpetuity, you should negotiate with the neighbor directly.

The aesthetic tastes of unaffected 3rd parties makes for fun debate on StreetEasy or at the bar, but where actual legalities are concerned it is (should be) none of our business.

The Upper East Side is a transit rich neighborhood?

Richard, Height restrictions via FAR are integral to city planning including light, schools, community amenities, and how crowded the sidewalks are.