Preservations are raising sand that Brooklyn Heights’ Verizon Wireless storefront is parading multiple injustices to the 19th century row-house at 146 Montague Street in which it has long been housed. In a hearing last month, the Landmarks Preservation Commission refused to retroactively permit an illegal aluminum display box, according to a story in the Brooklyn Paper.
And according to the Historic Districts Council, there are plenty more violations. In a statement, the organization says: “Rather than just focus on this display box, the base of this historic building needs to be rethought as a whole. The stretch banner, waterfall awning, and surface mounted solid roll down gate also need to be addressed for the sake of the building and the block.
Nadezhda Williams, the Historic Districts Council’s director of preservation & research adds, “We’re questioning whether any of this was legal. Though we weren’t a fan of the little box, it was the least of the poor building’s problems.” In particular is the store’s “excessive signage.”
Verizon couldn’t be reached for comment, Brooklyn Papers says, but Lisi de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for the Landmarks Preservation Commission, says that the owner of the building plans to remove the illegal display box as part of a larger project to improve the storefront. The application for that project isn’t complete. Landmarks hasn’t issued a violation, at this point.
“We will continue to work in partnership with the owner to ensure the changes complies with the law,” de Bourbon says.
