Group homes on the rise in the Bronx?

BoogieDowner was confused about this, but we see it here, too — non-profits buying or developing group homes on residential properties in this dodgy real estate market.

It should be said that with the exception of large co-op buildings, which are not selling equal to expectations, by most accounts Riverdale is far better off than other neighborhoods in terms of seeing a decline in home prices. But the upcoming plan for a Shrady Place group home — there was movement on that at last week's Community Board 8 meeting, and look for it in next week's edition of our paper — is not the only one in Riverdale. Long-embattled developer Ismael Fernandez is still under close watch from this community; he recently filed plans to turn his long-vacant property into another group home.

Plans for veterans' housing by seasoned group-home operators The Jericho Project in Kingsbridge Heights also continue to move forward, a Jericho representative said at the Oct. 7 Board 8 meeting.

And at least in Riverdale, this is far from a new issue. Various group homes and assisted-living facilities have drawn different measures of community opposition throughout the years.

Mr. Fernandez's project gets harsh opposition because local residents say he keeps trying to bend or break zoning rules. At the Board 8 meeting, housing committee chairman Thomas Durham spoke highly of Jericho's plans — they took him on a tour of other sites they operate — and the only objections to the Shrady Place plan have been about the steep, narrow street itself, which some on the board feel is unsuitable for people with disabilities or wheelchair users.