New dorm causing controversy in Riverdale

The College of Mount Saint Vincent announced plans to move 14 students into a house in Riverdale, but the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has already issued several violations for the property. The DOB visited the construction site last weekend. It claims the fire escape was built illegally because there were no permits to do the work. DOB officials say the next step is to see if the interior of the building has any violations. Councilman Oliver Koppell (D-BX) says placing a dorm in a residential community requires close monitoring. Residents say quality of life is the main issue, but they are willing to compromise if the college would agree to place just six or seven students in the building instead. In response to the complaints and violations, the school says its agreement with the developer requires the developer to get all needed city approval.