2209 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11223

The three-story, two-family house at 2209 Coney Island Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, owned by Tony Safonte and built in 1924, has experienced several significant incidents over the past few years. Most notably, in early 2019, the property was the subject of multiple Department of Health and Mental Hygiene complaints regarding food establishment issues, including rodent/insect problems and odors, with the Department issuing official notifications to the owner regarding potential violations.

An initial rodent inspection on February 7, 2019, resulted in a failure for "other reasons." The building's permit history from 2018-2019 shows several permits issued, particularly for electrical work (EW) and plumbing (PL), including two permits issued on November 13, 2019, and one on April 4, 2019, with a work sequence number of 02. More recently, in January 2023, there were two complaints filed with the Department of Buildings regarding an illegal or defective gas hook-up/piping and a permit issue, though both inspections failed to gain access on their second final attempts.

The building has exhibited a pattern of access-related issues, as evidenced by the inability of inspectors to gain access during these recent inspections. While some of the 2019 health department issues were closed after appropriate notifications to the owner, the recurring nature of building inspection access problems raises concerns about maintenance oversight.