Bronx Family Furious Over Construction Of New Building 12 Inches From Their Home
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Talk about too close for comfort.
A Bronx family is up in arms over a four-story apartment building that is going up inches from their 1920s one-story brick cape on Bruckner Boulevard.
Patty Justiniano told 1010 WINS that the owner of the neighboring lots knocked on her door a year ago to explain his plan to build.
"He informed me he was building a lovely home for him and his mother and I was like, 'Yeah right,'" Justiniano said.
Bronx Family Furious After New Apartment Building Goes Up 12 Inches From Their Home
She said the cinder block apartment building is being constructed just 12 inches from her home and touches the drain pipe.
"How do I replace that siding? How do I repair that siding? How do I clean my gutters?" Justiniano asked.
The new apartment building also blocks 10 windows on the side of her house.
"What do you do with them now? You don't open them up because you're looking at grey cinder blocks," Justiniano said.
Justiniano said she is thinking of just bricking up the windows, CBS 2's Dick Brennan reported.
The construction project manager said no rules have been broken.
"You could do anything you want to your building as long as you're within the guidelines of the city's building code and zone of regulations," said the manager, "Mohammed," who did not give his last name. "When you file any application with the city it has to be approved; it was approved."
"Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should and this is a prime case where you say 'really?'" said Justiniano.
The Department of Buildings said the construction is within legal limits. The home is zoned in an area that does not require side yards, which allows the developer to build to the line.
Justiniano said her home has a one-foot property line, but said the developer had two lots and could've moved at least a couple of feet away.
The city said the family can file a zoning challenge.
The new building is expected to be completed in June.
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