STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – What started as a plan to help a Staten Island family stay together has left a backyard torn up, thousands of dollars spent, and a homeowner working his way through a complex, evolving city approval process.
For Reggie Siew, a West Brighton resident, what started as a simple backyard makeover transformed into a months-long bureaucratic ordeal.
“We initially were just redoing our yard,” said Siew. “Putting a kitchen out there and a pool, just getting it ready for the summer.”…