By Howard Koplowitz
A Little Neck Parkway home under renovation that has drawn the anger of nearby residents was served with a stop-work order Friday, city Department of Buildings records showed.
The home, at 80-24 Little Neck Pkwy. in Glen Oaks, had to cease the alterations as of Friday because a job site fence was not high enough, a contractors sign was not posted and materials were stored improperly at the site, according to DOB records.
There have been six complaints filed against the construction since April 16, including two active complaints charging that the owner of the property, Mustafa Aminyar, did not have a permit posted for a container at the front of the premises and that a garage being demolished was missing safeguards.
Aminyar, who filed an application to add a second story to the home and extend the front of the building, could not be reached for comment.
“It’s been an eyesore for a while,” said a resident of the block, who asked not to be named for fear of antagonizing the developer. “Obviously, people think this is a monstrosity.”
The neighbor said the work on the house started about four months ago, but construction has been sluggish.
“They haven’t done a great job. It took the longest [time] to put the house up,” he said.
Another neighbor who is trying to sell his home said he has had difficulty finding a buyer because of the construction.
“A lot of that is affecting what’s taking place,” said the neighbor, who also asked not to be identified.
He said the developer started working on the second floor of the home – considered a renovation to the previous one-story structure – and he believed the owner worked on the first floor as well.
“I suspect that that’s not what was in the plans,” he said, noting that he thought there were problems with the construction beyond the justification for the stop-work order.
“What they should look into is on the inside and what exactly the plans call for and what is the construction,” he said.
“Nobody checks. Nobody investigates,” the neighbor said. “This kind of thing has been going on in this neighborhood for a long time. Because of this kind of construction in this neighborhood, working people can’t afford to buy a home.”
Another neighbor who also asked not to be named said the home is out of character with the block.
“It just looks overwhelming,” she said. “But everybody’s building overwhelming homes on small property these days.”
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
