New Synagogue going through the approval process
New Synagogue in the Bronx
Riverdale
A lot goes into getting a new project approved, especially when located in a protected district. The single family home areas of Riverdale and Fieldston in the Bronx have the challenge of being protected by a Special Natural Area District. This means additional measures must be taken to protect the environment: trees, boulders, steep slopes and waterways are all administered by this program.
For this new 4,100 square foot synagogue, Bronx Community Board 8 met to review the project proposed to house this congregation. Input from the community is a key part of these hearings. While several nearby residents spoke, the immediate neighbor raised a concern about a potential increased flooding risk caused by the new building.
Principal Architect and Riverdale resident, Michael Goldblum, with team members Lara Makhlouf and Anthony Watkins, responded to this concern by adding landscape measures to keep any surface water away from the neighbor. After seeing these measures at a second community meeting the neighbor did not offer additional comment. The Land Use Committee voted to approve the project at that second meeting; several weeks later the Board ratified this vote.
After Community Board approval, this project must be reviewed by the Department of City Planning and the Department of Buildings. Once given the green light, we are ready to begin construction.
Read more about this meeting and the process in the Riverdale Press.
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