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Denser Mansion OK’d

by Allan Appel | Jan 19, 2012 3:02 pm

(10) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Housing, East Rock

Melissa Bailey Photo Make that five “Greenwich”-style luxury apartments, not three.

A year ago the city was looking high and low for a preservation-minded suitor to fall in love with this stately old 1882 house. The house had been given by Yale to the Board of Ed. It was never utilized but moved to make way for the building of the Celentano School. The Board of Ed declared the property “surplus” and asked the city to dispose of it.

That successful suitor turned out to be Pike International.

Pike purchased the long-abandoned Queen Anne-style house in February and began to do an historic rehab on a house that had been lived in by the caretaker of the long-gone Winchester Observatory, which was the name of the Yale University department of astronomy’s observatory until 1920.

Pike also put up the cheeky sign pictured above.

Allan Appel Photo On Wednesday night Pike, which has been amassing a real estate empire in New Haven, was back before the City Plan Commission about the Prospect Street house—not wanting to end the marriage at all, but just to change a few terms.

Pike had made its land disposition deal with the city based on converting the 4,500-square foot structure into three luxury apartments. On Wednesday night the commissioners were asked to permit conversion to five dwelling units.

City Plan Director Karyn Gilvarg commended the progress that has been made thus far on the historic rehab.

“They’ve stabilized the exterior, [and] maybe replaced the roof,” she said.

She and her staff recommended approval, with conditions such as the addition of more parking spaces as the RM-2 zone in which the house sits requires one spot per dwelling.

Other conditions require Pike to return with a site plan review to see how the parking design will work.

As the building is an historic structure, all renovations need to be done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Renovation.

The amendment to the land disposition agreement (LDA) was passed unanimously by the commissioners.

Because the Board of Aldermen approved an LDA for three units, the next step is for the amendment to return to the Board of Aldermen for their approval of the modification to five.

Comments

posted by: anon on January 19, 2012 3:36pm

Excellent to see this development. It would have been cheaper not to have moved it in the first place, though.

posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on January 19, 2012 4:26pm

The house shouldn’t have been moved in the first place. Initially the house aligned with Division Street and blocked the rising sun to the east in the morning. However, since the move the sun now blinds people traveling up the hill in the morning.
I’m glad the exterior was restored - it looks great. Was the interior restored as well? Also, that paint scheme, while nice, seems a little more appropriate for something in Morris Cove near the water. Warmer colors - brown, yellow and orange - may have been a better choice for this location, but that’s being a little picky of an overall good project. Hopefully the accommodation of parking doesn’t compromise the building. Residents should be able to share the parking lot with the school instead of adding addition parking spaces.

posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on January 19, 2012 4:30pm

Also, as a note to the author; McMansions are the standardized version of real mansions, which this building is. This house was built for a specific person - it was not part of a large “market-rate” subdivision that was built-out with many similar houses by the same builders and then marketed and sold to people of a specific income level.
This project is an adaptive re-use and restoration project of an historic mansion for condominium units. This is not a McMansion.

posted by: anon on January 19, 2012 5:10pm

Agree with JH. It is silly to require more parking spaces here when there is a school with a useless, WalMart sized parking lot next door. Why can’t they share?

The city already has far too much asphalt - we need to start valuing our children, birds, and livable urban environments over more cars, cancer, and unsustainable land use.

posted by: Steve B 2 on January 19, 2012 5:22pm

Why do we require parking in buildings that are in easy walking and biking distance of (literally) more than 10,000 jobs? Pike is smart: if tenants are willing to pay for parking then Pike will provide it. But why does the city require it?

Required parking drives up cost, therefore drives down the value of property and thereby deprives the city of development and taxes. And the implicit subsidy of car ownership increases congestion and pollution.

posted by: streever on January 19, 2012 8:36pm

Parking requirements have nothing to do with actual parking issues—they are the most arbitrarily imposed “requirement” that zoners can find, so they are used to deny unpopular but otherwise appropriate applications. This is why we have our parking requirements despite the ire they draw in business owners, residential developers, architects, builders, and urban planners.

posted by: HhE on January 19, 2012 8:55pm

I would echo what Jonathan Hopkins has said, albeit I do not take issue with the color scheme, perhaps because it is nearly the same as my 1918 house which is three blocks away.

I know something about Greenwich and McMansions, having lived in Greenwich for a number of years.

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2010/07/design_dialogue_article

I am saddened that they did not stick with slate for the roof, but it is expensive. I know Same Hecht, and I am very glad to have him as a neighbour, but he and I differ on how much to spend on construction. He needs to make a profit. I need to stay in touch with my inner snob.

Pity Yale gave (off loaded) this house to the city. I wish Yale had fixed it up years ago, perhaps to serve as an official residence. I am glad that this house is being saved.

posted by: Stephen Harris on January 20, 2012 8:45am

I should think that any new agreement would trigger the green regs. Also, I remember when this came through PAD that parking was very tight. Maybe they can get five spaces after all though.

And just to be nit-picky as well, I don’t like the cold colors. I vote for warm tones too.

posted by: Funky Chicken on January 20, 2012 9:39am

@Hhe a real slate roof can start out at $100,000 and it only goes up from there. On the flip side they can last 100 years

posted by: HhE on January 20, 2012 11:35am

I know Funky Chicken. I have one.

A hundred year slate roof is a minimal one. No longer quarried, Peach Bottom slate is good for 400 years. Most will last for 200 years with proper maintenance.

Slate roofs also look better than anything else. Wood shingles, tile, faux slate, and thatch are also good.

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