Nick Dallorso says the scaffolding he points to was already in place when he moved to the Ridgewood area about five years ago, but he hasn’t seen any work being done to prevent the building from deteriorating. Something he says has its drawbacks.
“Because trash and rats collect and make the neighborhood look ugly,” Dallorso said.
And he is not the only one. Almost 60 neighbors have reported the abandonment of the facade, according to data from the city’s Department of Buildings.
The complaints from the neighbors are due to the lack of lighting at night, due to all the garbage they throw around them and due to the lack of maintenance on their sidewalks.
“This should be fixed, all this because sometimes ladies with their babies pass by, there are potholes and they need to fix that, understand,” said neighbor Cruz Rivera.
To put a limit on scaffolding like the one referred to, which remains installed indefinitely, a group of councilors has presented a legislative package.
“Today, we said ‘out with the sheds!’
“We are introducing a new legislative package to address the endless scaffolding in New York City.
“Let’s give New Yorkers a little more sunlight and a little less scaffolding,” Councilman Keith Powers, one of the local lawmakers behind the initiative, wrote in a social media post.
Today, we said “off with the sheds!”
We’re introducing a new legislative package to address the endless scaffolding around New York City.
Let’s give New Yorkers a little more sunlight and a little less scaffolding. ☀️ pic.twitter.com/hCjNcTHENS
— Keith Powers (@KeithPowersNYC) March 16, 2023
These proposals state that building owners will receive financial support to carry out repair work.
In addition, the red tape to obtain permits would be reduced and stronger penalties would be placed on building owners who do not finish the work on time.
Mark Levine, the Manhattan Borough President, says it’s time to bring order.
“In Manhattan alone there are more than 4,000 and they stay there sometimes for years and years,” Levine said.
“We have seen more than two hundred that have been there for five years or more and some that are 10 or 15 years old, which is unacceptable. It is a matter of security because it creates very dark spaces, it covers the facade of businesses and the public cannot see that there is a winery or cafe there and they’re ugly,” added Levine.
As part of the bills, they also seek to update regulations and reform design standards, such as installing LED lights to improve lighting at night and allowing scaffolding to be painted different colors that stand out.
And finally, give incentives to make long-term repairs, instead of temporary fixes. Everything so that the scaffolding does not remain for years in our streets.
