RESIDENTS PROTEST THROGGS
NECK UPZONING PROPOSAL
Residents at the rally protest the planned upzoning of the Super Foodtown, to allow for four new bulidings. Photos Jason Cohen
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR AUG. 20-26, 2021 15
BY JASON COHEN
A proposal to upzone
Bruckner Boulevard, highlighted
by a Foodtown being
torn down in place of a 85-foot
tall, 8-story building has infuriated
Throggs Neck residents.
Throggs Neck Associates
LLC, signed for by Joseph
Bivona, the owner of
Super Foodtown, submitted
an application in late 2020
to amend the zoning laws
to construct four mixed-use
residential and commercial
buildings on Bruckner Boulevard,
from Crosby to Gifford
avenues, ranging in size from
3-8 stories and proposing 384
residential units.
If approved, the four new
buildings would be located
at 5308 Revere Ave., 2719
Bruckner Blvd., 2945 Bruckner
Blvd., and 2817 Bruckner
Blvd., would inject more
than 1,100 new residents into
an area of roughly a quarter
mile.
In protest of the plan, hundreds
of residents packed the
sidewalk and street outside of
Foodtown on Aug.4, voicing
their displeasure.
Among those in attendance
was City Council District
13 Candidate Attorney
Aleksander Mici, a Republican,
who has written a ceaseand
desist letter to Throggs
Neck Associates LLC hoping
to kill the project. “As you see
behind me the whole neighborhood
is up in arms about
this issue,” he said. “This affects
the quality of life in this
neighborhood. The owner
who applied for this variance
does not have the community’s
best interest at heart.”
John Cerini, a longtime
business owner in Throggs
Neck, urged people to reach
out to the media, their elected
offi cials and the community
board and more importantly,
that the rally can not end
their fi ght.
“We cannot allow these
buildings to go up,” he said.
“I want to let everybody at
home know if you think your
voice doesn’t matter, you’re
wrong.”
Cerini told the crowd to
not let the developers fool you
with words like senior housing,
schools or affordable
housing. These plans will
overcrowd the community,
make parking worse and create
more issues for the NYPD
and FDNY, he added.
While Cerini remained
calm, Throggs Neck Business
Improvement Executive
Director Bobby Jaen did not
hold his tongue. Jaen, who
has lived in Throggs Neck
for 42 years, said this proposed
up-zoning will destroy
the community. Jaen told
the crowd that he has spoken
with the Throggs Neck businesses
and none of them are
in favor of this development.
“When it comes to things
like this we have to think
about the future,” he shouted.
“This is all about greed and
money. It’s not no, it’s hell no
we don’t want this.”
George Havranek, president
of the Spencer Estate
Civic Association, launched
an online petition against the
proposed project, which so far
has garnered more than 4,000
signatures. Havranek feels
that if the city approves the
rezoning it could spur other
up-zoning throughout the
borough.
“Once you lose that zoning
you lose control of your
community,” he said. “This is
an appetizer for developers.
This is not the main course.”
More than a decade ago,
Community Board 10 voted
unanimously to make Throggs
Neck, Country Club and Pelham
Bay, a Lower Growth
Management Area (LGMA).
According to Matt Cruz, district
manager for CB10, development
in CB 10 requires
off-street parking spaces and
there are parameters around
the physical characteristics of
the building and its height, because
of the implementation of
a LGMA. In 2007, LGMA eventually
became law under then-
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
with the local leadership of
then-City Councilman James
Vacca.
“This project is surprising,”
Cruz told the Bronx Times. “By
approving this application, it
would essentially undo what
the board did 10 years ago.”
Marjorie Velasquez, who
won the June Democratic Primary
for the 13th City Council
seat, has also spoken out
against the upzoning.
“As a member of Community
Board 10, I have in the past
voted against developments
that go against our community’s
needs,” she said in a released
statement. “I will vote
against the proposed Bruckner
Blvd. expansion that does not
take into consideration transportation,
education, public
works and other infrastructure
and investment our community
needs.”
Because the proposal is part
of a rezoning application, it
triggers the Uniform Land Use
Review Procedure (ULURP)
where CB 10 will render its
advisory opinion. As part of
ULURP, the offi ce of the Borough
President and the New
York City Council will also issue
its opinions.
A decision on the project
will likely not come until
2022.