This is the Bronx though, so I imagine other rules come into play, especially if the builder has other high-tax properties going up.
I bet there will be a vote and a variance allowed before the letter from the homeowner’s lawyer hits the bottom of the mailbox.
Again, the rules I cited tell us that when it's R7 and its adacent to R4, the R5 rules prevail at the margins ~ but like I said, the new building's "bulk" clearly violates the rule regarding adacency of heights ~ BTW, the way you do that is you go to the middle of the street and look up at something like 30 degrees. With a 20 ft setback any building that interferes with your line of sight and fronts on the same street is usually in violation of the law EVEN IF it otherwise conforms to the standards set for its own lot.
New York's law is old and crafted to minimize damage to existing property rights ~ particularly access to sunlight. They have some model ordinances people all over the world have adopted. I strongly suspect hoodwinking and skulduggery in this deal.