Bushwick residents have reported that a newly built smokestack has ruined the neighborhood air quality and despite their complaints no help has come, reports The New York Post. At its new 38 Locust St. location, The Satmar Matzah Bakery, fired up its new black chimneys in late January — and the smell of smoke is so strong its begun to impact residents blocks away.
“The air quality in the neighborhood … you can really just smell smoke all the time,” said Xavier McCormick, a resident on the block who worries for the children at a nearby elementary school. “I’m not going to say the air quality in our 100-plus-year-old building is great, but now it just consistently smells like smoke.
Residents have rung 311 countless times with little to no avail despite The city Department of Buildings’ website showing records of the property currently having two open violations, both issued in the last month. One is for “unlawfully continued work” — including the installation of a new rooftop mechanical unit, electrical systems and a sprinkler — and the other for work without proper permits.
And despite the violations and two FDNY visits, the smoke has continued with no end in sight and residents have also begun to report yet another issue of “massive” piles of coal taking over pedestrian space. Multiple city agencies, however, agree that the smokestacks are an issue that requires city intervention to solve.
“In response to complaints from members of the public, DOB has conducted multiple inspections of this building over the past several weeks,” Department of Buildings press secretary Andrew Rudansky told The Post on behalf of the DOB, FDNY and the Department of Environmental Protection. “During these inspections we have issued violations to the owners and their contractors related to ongoing construction work at the location that was not up to code … we are currently coordinating with our agency partners at DEP and FDNY to investigate the issue further.”
Although the city is aware of the issue, block residents continue to agree that response has not only been slow but the situation remains ridiculous.
