'Baloney,' Says Community to Architect

There was shouting, gavel pounding, meat categorizing and a near unanimous vote at a hearing on Monday to deny approval to build a home on a trapezoidal lot in Bayside Hills.

The would-be architect of the project, Paul Bonfilio, said an existing house sits on the wide end of the lot at 50-20 216th St., and the owner’s idea is to build another house on the land.

 The planned construction falls short of zoning requirements, so a “variance” is needed from the Board of Standards and Appeals. The Monday night vote by Community Board 11 was essentially a non-binding resolution. Residents argued that the house would be a snug fit, not measuring up to minimum side yard footage.

“This is probably the most important vote for Bayside Hills that has ever been voted on during the 28 years that I’ve been in Bayside Hills,” said resident Jay Koellner.

“We are the last standing community of single family homes,” he added. “Look at Flushing. Look at Bayside.”

“The house wouldn’t be any different than the other houses on the block,” Bonfilio said,

“You can’t come up here and feed us baloney, and say it’s totally kosher and totally clean, but we need two variances,” said Bayside Hills Resident David Goldstein, adding, “Baloney is not kosher.”

“Some people just don’t want to see anything built,” Bonfilio had previously said, adding that he “half expected,” to be voted down by CB11.

Before he was voted down, a dozen Bayside Hills residents testified that the home would not jibe with the character of the neighborhood's R2A, one-family home zoning.

“The issue of the ‘essential character’ has to do with use,” said Bonfilio. “One-family homes. Not only does it meet the character in terms of use, but it meets the character in terms of building type.”

Bonfilio’s fact sheet submitted to CB11 members for review buttressed his claim, but the application he submitted to the BSA last year did not. That document was filed for one dwelling unit, but a R3 residential structure, which can be one or two family homes.

Other inconsistencies between the two documents, such as total floor area, were noticed by CB11 Member Paul DiBenedetto.

For one of the public speakers, the floor plans outlining exterior stairs and a bathroom for the basement, fueled speculation that the home would be illegally rented.

But the cellar bathroom would have no shower, according to Bonfilio associate Joe Farrugio. Bonfilio argued that all the homes in the area have cellars, many with exterior stairs.

“The stairs are merely a second means of egress and a convenience for direct access to the rear of the property,” said Bonfilio. “That’s an issue for the building department to enforce.”