UWS residents bring LPC into pool fight

Ragip Ersin Akarlilar and 51 West 83rd Street (building credit: PropertyShark)

Upper West Side residents are making a splash over a neighbor’s plan to build a pool in the backyard of his West 83rd Street townhouse. The New York Post reported that owner Ragip Ersin Akarlilar, who owns Mavi Jeans, wants to build a four-foot-deep pool and three-story steel deck that would comprise about half of his 18-by-100-foot yard, which according to PropertyShark.com is located at 51 West 83rd Street. But neighbors are complaining that sounds from construction, children splashing in the pool and the pool deck will destroy the serenity and sightlines in their backyards. They’ve presented their case before the Landmarks Preservation Commission — which designated the block as a landmark in 1986 — in hopes that it will protect the backyards, too. The pool and the deck would not be visible from the sidewalk. While the commission could rule by tomorrow, it appears the agency will side with the Turkish millionaire.
“I have no problem with the pool whatsoever. If the applicant follows city mandates, I think it’s actually a relatively exciting addition,” said Landmarks Commissioner Michael Devonshire. [Post]