City officials, on the advice of Corporation Counsel Craig Sullivan, won’t act against illegal student dormitories owned by the Yeshiva Gedolah of Waterbury. At least in the short term.

Sullivan delivered his advice to the Zoning Commission on Wednesday. At the same meeting, nearly a dozen civic leaders and residents urged the board to immediately issue a cease-and-desist order.

Critics smarted at the fact 10 or more dorms were established in single-family houses and triple-decked apartment buildings without any request to the city, and were then given religious tax-exempt status.

“I think to allow illegal dormitories to be taken off the tax rolls is not only ludicrous, but a slap in the face to the residents of Overlook and Hillside,” said Peter Blum of Euclid Avenue.

City Planner James Sequin became aware of the dorms after a complaint in February. On Wednesday, he agreed they’re in obvious violation of city zoning codes and probably wouldn’t even qualify for waivers if permit applications were submitted.

But Sequin decided in February to ignore the violations for fear of infringing upon the group’s constitutional right to free practice of religion. He did, however, appraise the city Fire Marshal’s Office, which promised to investigate.

Another critic of the illegal dorms, Alderman Dennis Odle, said the fire marshal only visited two houses.

After the meeting, Sequin said the marshal’s office would visit the rest soon.

Zoning Commission Chairman Guiseppi Pisani said the controversy has left his group with a difficult choice. He doesn’t want to crack down on the city’s nascent Orthodox community — which many credit with uplifting the neighborhoods around the Yeshiva — nor does he want to allow it to defy the city’s zoning laws.

“We’re in a pickle … it’s like a cop giving a parking ticket to his grandmother,” Pisani said. “I mean, here we have our regulations. It’s blatant they are not being followed. What does this commission do? Do we close our eyes and say because they are a religious organization — regardless of what denomination — we are not going to enforce our regulations? I don’t think that’s fair.”

The Yeshiva was not represented at the commission meeting. Attempts to reach the school’s leadership on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Sullivan advised restraint.

The Yeshiva just this week hired an attorney and there is some indication its leadership is planning to move students into legal and permanent dormitories, Sullivan said.

The city should spend its energy trying to aid such a plan, rather than crack down, Sullivan said. At the least it should discover the Yeshiva’s justification, so as to better prepare for a possible court challenge to a cease-and-desist order, he said.

Sullivan said he will meet with Yeshiva representatives and report back to the commission Dec. 18.

RA