Post-Fire Demolition Of Stratford Road House Happened Without Permit, City Says
After a devastating fire, the remains of 474 Stratford Road appear to have been torn down without the necessary permits.
The Department of Buildings has confirmed that the wreckage of a home at 474 Stratford Road, located between Dorchester Road and Ditmas Avenue, was torn down without City permission after it was destroyed in a two-alarm fire on March 23rd.
(Updated — 5/18/16, 4:30pm. Read the DOB complaint here. The DOB told us that a permit was issued for a fence related to the demolition — but not for the demolition of the house itself.)
Over 100 firefighters battled the blaze, which could be seen from Coney Island Avenue. The wooden, three-story house was built in 1899.
According to neighbors, demolition began the day after the fire — March 24th. As with all fires, the Fire Department conducted an investigation. We are trying to find out what the FDNY was able to ascertain, especially given that demolition happened so soon after the fire.
An application for a permit to demolish the ruined structure was made, the DOB said today, but the agency had not issued it when demolition began.
The permit request was filed by Menachem Roth of Xolle LLC, a general contracting company located on Flatbush Avenue. We contacted Xolle LLC to find out who had ordered the demolition but Roth was not available to speak with us.
The DOB said a hearing on the matter will be held at the Environmental Control Board on June 6th. A Stop Work order for the site was issued by the agency on April 18th.
No one was living at 474 Stratford Road at the time of the fire. According to City records, June R. Thorpe retains a life estate on the house, whose ownership was transferred to other members of the Thorpe family in 2006.
Neighbors allege that an earlier fire broke out at the house on the morning of March 23rd, which the FDNY quelled.
An apparent second fire was called into the FDNY at 12:42pm, which they contained at 2:31pm. That fire completely destroyed the house.