Board says it can't fight developer

With modest apartment buildings and townhouses, plenty of green space and an all-around tranquil atmosphere, the lots around Blackstone Avenue and West 238th Street are quintessential Riverdale.

But dozens of residents say a developer’s plans to build an eight-story apartment building at 640 W. 238th St. and at least one other structure of yet-to-be-determined proportions around the corner will ruin their homes by greatly diminishing their value and completely blocking the sunlight.

Architect Michael Goldblum’s presentation at an Aug. 12 meeting of Community Board 8’s Land Use Committee showed his client Abraham Strulovitch’s building will come to the maximum possible limit of 640 W. 238th St., thus blocking windows on the east side of the six-story Bonnie House at 3720 Independence Ave.

While residents of that building signed a petition protesting the construction, Land Use Committee Chairman Charles Moerdler said CB 8 has little say in the matter since the construction will be “as-of-right,” a term for projects that comply with the prevailing zoning regulations.

“There isn’t a heck of a lot we can do with respect to the petition and the people who are getting shafted, in my view, at the Bonnie House,” Mr. Moerdler said after Mr. Goldblum’s presentation showing plans for 15 units at 640 W. 238th St.

The presentation appeared to mark a reduction from plans filed with the city’s Department of Buildings on June 2, which described a building with 27 units at 640 W. 238th St. A search of the DOB’s Building Information Search site for plans at 3707 Blackstone Ave. yielded a result saying, “this address is not in property file.”

Elderly affected

The petition opposing Mr. Strulovitch’s plans noted that the building at 640 W. 238th St. would completely block the living room, bedroom and bathroom windows at 12 apartments and negatively effect the view from six other apartments in the Bonnie House.