What to Know
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday that his administration is cracking down on scaffolding and construction sheds that have been installed for too long in the city. Deputy Mayor, who oversees New York City’s infrastructure portfolio, Meera Joshi, revealed that homeowners have a time limit before the first set of penalties. The city also wants more aesthetically pleasing sheds for a brighter appearance, as well as the use of netting instead of planks. of wood.
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday that his administration is cracking down on scaffolding and construction sheds that have been in place for too long in the city.
Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, who oversees New York City’s infrastructure portfolio, revealed that property owners have a time limit before the first set of penalties.
“Here’s the plan,” Joshi said. “Once the shed is up, the clock starts ticking! At 90 days the first sanctions. You have to act.”
City officials estimate there are more than 9,000 sidewalk sheds across the city, with an average lead time of around 500 days. Because of this, the city is doubling down on inspections and increasing fines. The current maximum fine is $6,000 per month.
According to Adams, Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo will be the scaffolding czar, tasked with issuing fines but also helping homeowners who can’t afford repairs.
“For those who are in a financial situation where they can’t make ends meet, we have to get them financial resources,” Oddo said.
The city also wants more aesthetically pleasing sheds for a brighter appearance, as well as the use of netting instead of wood planks. This is being considered in Queens Court, where scaffolding has been installed for six years.
So when will New Yorkers notice the difference?
According to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, it will be soon.
“Before 2023 is out, we will have started to turn the curve on this,” Levine said.
Mayors past and present have made promises to address the scaffolding problem that has been brewing for far too long, but the promises have never been kept.
Adams has said that the city has “normalized” these types of sheds across the city, which he found unacceptable.
New Yorkers hope that this time there will be change.
“It’s annoying! You can’t even see the buildings,” Olivarria said.
The city also opened a design competition: a request for proposals to design a better scaffold. The idea is that, for safety reasons, there will always be a need for shelters and scaffolding. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t look more elegant.
2023-07-24 21:34:56
#NYC #mounts #effort #tackle #scaffolding #sheds #city
