A deluge of new development has arrived in the Northwest Bronx, taking advantage of the as-of-right zoning loophole and hiding behind anonymous limited liability corporations.
On May 20, building permits were filed with the NYC Department of Buildings to construct another new building in the Northwest Bronx – this time for a new eight story building at 3631 Johnson Avenue. The proposed building would include 22 new units and only 8 parking spaces, with an average apartment size of 908 square feet. Since the beginning of 2016, there have been 63 permits for new buildings filed with DOB in the 81st Assembly District and dozens more have filed for demolition.
Local residents have become increasingly frustrated by current zoning regulations that allow large buildings to go up without any form of public input, despite increasing demand for already limited infrastructure. Much of the development has been concentrated in areas that are currently occupied by single-family homes or similarly sized small buildings but are within a zone that allows for much higher density. However, infrastructure such as gas and water mains, sewage pipes, available parking, and transit options are already heavily burdened by existing demand. The current permit approval process for DOB or New York City Department of City Planning does not typically require environmental impact statements, which would incorporate these factors into whether a proposed development is appropriate for a given neighborhood.
Many of these developments are filed by limited liability corporations (LLC’s), which rarely identify any of the principal investors involved on corporation filings with the Department of State and only list a single representative on DOB filings. For example, the building permit for 3631 Johnson Avenue lists the owner as Great Gold Summit LLC and lists a business address on Long Island along with the name of one member. The NYS Department of State - Division of Corporations does not list any of the principal investors under the entity information available online and apparently does not require the listing of a registered agent. In order to view the names of the original members, one must submit a written request along with payment to receive a paper copy of the original certificate.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D - Northwest Bronx) said: “One of the main aspects which attract homeowners to live in the Northwest Bronx is the well-balanced density of our neighborhoods. Many people choose to live further away from the city center precisely to avoid the feeling of living stacked on top of each other. Real estate developers seem to be so hell-bent on maximizing their profits that we are at a very real risk of losing what makes our area desirable in the first place. Whatever the current rules are now for development, these developers are not being good neighbors. They come into our neighborhood, tear down a building that has been there for years, they don’t even always tell us who they are. And when somebody dares to voice concerns about the impact on their neighborhood, they are told ‘too bad, we can do whatever we want because the property is as-of-right.’ I don’t think that is a good way to operate and it is very clear that changes need to be made.”
