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Cymbrowitz Slams BSA for Approving Construction on Disputed Homecrest Residence

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The house at 1882 East 12th Street in the Homecrest section of Brooklyn.
The house at 1882 East 12th Street in the Homecrest section of Brooklyn.
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) is blasting the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) for allowing construction to proceed on a home at 1882 East 12th Street despite residents’ pleas over the last eight years that the property is out of scale with surrounding homes and may have a foundation that is inadequate to support the home’s weight.

In late June, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz wrote to BSA urging the board to “heed the community’s strong concerns” and rule against the five-story home, which towers well above its two-story neighbors. He had previously written to the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) asking the agency to revoke its approval of the building’s plans, which were filed incorrectly as a renovation instead of new construction.

In 2011, Assemblyman Cymbrowitz supported the residents when the matter wound up in Kings County Supreme Court. At that time, Judge Yvonne Lewis ordered BSA to rehear arguments regarding the vesting of the project and agreed that BSA had “abandoned its obligation to review and, if necessary, correct mistakes by the DOB.”

The court called BSA’s original determination “arbitrary and capricious.” In late July, despite a temporary restraining order issued by the judge, BSA again ruled in favor of the project, further angering residents who contend that their concerns over the last five years have been ignored and that 1882 East 12th Street is a “disaster waiting to happen.”

“This isn’t a case of neighbors’ word against BSA,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. “BSA is choosing to ignore a court order to review a project that was admittedly filed improperly and may have serious construction issues that compromise safety.”

“Who’s protecting the residents here? The lack of accountability is extremely troubling,” he said.

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