My wife and I visited NYC last month, and noticed a lot of scaffolding all over the city. I was amazed - when I lived in NY, I didn't notice it as much. I guess we were right - it has increased, and it is annoying lots of people, not just us. It definitely detracted from the views and feeling of being in the city.
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The article fails to mention the culprit by name - Local Law 11 - that followed the tragic death of a Barnard student. Rather than institute the draconian law that has cost millions of dollars in unnecessary facade inspections and made New York City a jungle of scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, the City Council should have tightened the requirements that all buildings have adequate accident insurance. As it is, those same buildings are required to maintain safe sidewalk pavements and provide snow clearance in winter, so why is it not also incumbent upon them to assume responsibility in case of a pedestrian accident? Local Law 11 is an infringement on building owners - rentals, coops and condos - and should be repealed and replaced. At the very least, the time frame for inspections should be changed to every 10 years.
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These locations are great for the homeless.
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Great story, except that the oldest scaffolding in New York is actually at 115th St. and Lenox Ave. in Harlem, which has been sitting there for 27 years, since 1990. See http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20161206/REAL_ESTATE/161209914/a-cu...
The Buildings Department can't even keep up with the scaffolding it itself has approved, probably because the people who approved it have long since died.
The Buildings Department can't even keep up with the scaffolding it itself has approved, probably because the people who approved it have long since died.
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27 years and yet absolutely no advocacy by any Harlem elected official to address this. Even worse is the Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and Harlem Development Corp who basically all have the same mission of saying they are about improving the area, helping businesses yet for 27 years the residents can't get something fixed. Does anyone see a problem with this? Should all organizations be dissolved?
This article gives short shrift to the aesthetic disaster these damned scaffolds have made of the city landscape.
I was born on the West Side, CCNY grad, worked in the city prowled its wonderful neighborhoods and loved every minute of it. Now ten years out and living in New Orleans, my wife and I recently stayed at the beautiful old Belclaire on West 77th and Broadway and witnessed the impact of these scaffolds on the beautiful west side environment. (No need for sunglasses or an umbrella but that was a lousy tradeoff for the gloomy darkness and the depressing, desecration of city scape. Like being in prison.)
Luxury buildings going up everywhere, roadways and sidewalks in dreadful condition, too much litter... and scaffolding everywhere.
How could the city allow this to happen? I could cry.
I was born on the West Side, CCNY grad, worked in the city prowled its wonderful neighborhoods and loved every minute of it. Now ten years out and living in New Orleans, my wife and I recently stayed at the beautiful old Belclaire on West 77th and Broadway and witnessed the impact of these scaffolds on the beautiful west side environment. (No need for sunglasses or an umbrella but that was a lousy tradeoff for the gloomy darkness and the depressing, desecration of city scape. Like being in prison.)
Luxury buildings going up everywhere, roadways and sidewalks in dreadful condition, too much litter... and scaffolding everywhere.
How could the city allow this to happen? I could cry.
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Yet NYC Housing and Preservation HPD has no clue to tracking their own buildings by year, developer, coop/condo to scaffolding to construction defects. When these so-called affordable housing units are built and consumers are left with shoddy construction there should be some metrics by the city. The coops then have to get their loans to make repairs by NYCHDC, and they are NOT tracking year of building to construction defect and developer either. So, the consumer gets screwed, there is no oversight and you see scaffolding all over the boroughs of fairly new buildings.
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They missed one ( at least ).
I'd also like to point out that the structural integrity of a lot of scaffolding should be questioned. Look at base of most and little thin blocks of wood serve as the base. I realize one student died from falling plaster, but my hypothesis is more will from shoddy scaffolds.
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In our neighborhood, the Flatiron the scaffolds have become the new homeless shelters and with that mounds of cardboard, assorted trash and the odor of urine.
The most important issue is developing a plan to get the homeless off the streets and give them the assistance they require.
The city should establish and enforce a time limit on scaffold permits.
The most important issue is developing a plan to get the homeless off the streets and give them the assistance they require.
The city should establish and enforce a time limit on scaffold permits.
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There is also a need for legislation to allow for closure of the sidewalk when a bridge is erected or dismantled. Where closing the sidewalk is not feasible, the bridge work should be performed off hours when there are less people around. Pedestrians should not be walking beneath overhead work.
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