Community board leadership committee approves demapping of Raymond Avenue despite community objections

On July 16, 2025, the leadership committee of a Bronx community board held a public hearing and voted to approve an application to demap a portion of Raymond Avenue, a street the applicants say is effectively unopened and fenced off.

The item drew extended public comment and questions from committee members about past use of the city-owned parcel, enforcement by city agencies, and what ownership would allow the applicants to do. A registered speaker opposed the demapping, saying the applicant had “not demonstrated that they have the best interest of the community at heart” and that the fenced area shows long-term private use and sidewalk degradation. Attorney Richard Lobel, representing Blondell Corp., and applicant Joe Galito Jr. responded that the applicants own adjoining lots, that zoning and site constraints limit the street’s use, and that Department of Buildings records show no open violations on the four lots the applicants control.

Why it matters: Demapping removes a street from the city map and is a necessary step before the city can sell or convey the underlying parcel. Opponents said approving demapping would reward decades of informal private control of public land and could reduce community access…