2016

This bill would require the Department of Buildings to report on all construction accidents that result in an injury or fatality to a member of the public or a construction worker.

This bill would require that contractors working on certain projects receiving City financial assistance participate in an apprenticeship program. It would also require reporting of certain information concerning such projects.

Nearly 9,000 scaffolds that entomb 190 miles of City sidewalks may soon be dismantled, under legislation introduced by Council Member Ben Kallos. Unnecessary scaffolding also known as “sidewalk sheds” would have to be removed if seven days pass without construction work.
 
Sidewalk sheds are temporary structures, made of wooden planks, boards and metal pipes to protect pedestrians from dangerous conditions that are being corrected or new construction. Scaffolding is not only an eyesore but attract crime such as drug deals and provide an alternative to shelter for homeless. Many sidewalk sheds persist for years, sometimes more than a decade. There are several sidewalk sheds in Council District 5 represented by Kallos that have been up for years, over two years at 340 East 64th Street and 301 East 95th Street and over three years at 349 East 74th Street. Often times, it is much more expensive to fix a dangerous condition than to leave a sidewalk shed up indefinitely

Kallos’ legislation would set the following timeline for sidewalk sheds in place for dangerous conditions:

• 90 days for building owners to fix a dangerous condition,
• 90 additional for building owners days to fix the dangerous condition upon extension,
• After 180 days, the city would do the work to correct the dangerous condition and bill the owner for all costs.
• Work could not be interrupted for more than 7 days without a mandate to take down the sidewalk shed or face heavy penalties.

Under the same legislation, new construction would need to continue without more than 7 days of interruption until the new development is safely capped off or completed. Exemptions in the legislation provide for weather, stop work orders, time awaiting permit renewals or in cases of safety risks.

This bill would require that the Board of Standards and Appeals have access to the advice of a State certified general real estate appraiser with no less than five years’ experience in analyzing and auditing real estate investments.

This bill would require the Department of City Planning to designate a Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) Coordinator and to post on its website a record of such coordinator’s attendance at BSA hearings as well as any written testimony presented by the Department or by the City Planning Commission.

This bill would codify minimum evidentiary requirements for zoning variance applications with respect to establishing physical uniqueness of a zoning lot and the applicant’s inability to obtain a reasonable rate of return under the existing zoning. A person who makes a materially false statement or causes a materially false statement to be made in connection with a zoning application would be subject to a $25,000 fine for every such false statement.

This bill would require the Board of Standards and Appeals to create, and post on its website, an interactive map displaying the location of all variances and special permits approved by the BSA since January 1, 1996. The map would allow a user to filter by borough; council district; community district; type of variance; date; and, for special permits, active or inactive status.

This bill would require the Board of Standards and Appeals to report information about applications for variances and special permits, and appeals of decisions regarding variances and special permits, to the Council twice per year, on dates approximately one and a half months prior to the mandated due dates for the Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report and the Mayor’s Management Report.