Mayor and DOB Announce Overhaul of Sidewalk Construction Shed Rules

Sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of over 500 days, but some stay up for several years. On July 24, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced “Get Sheds Down,” an overhaul of the rules relating to sidewalk construction sheds (scaffolding). While the sheds are required for construction, facade inspections, and repairs, existing laws often enable property owners to leave up the construction sheds for a long time, and <Read More>


Unlicensed plumber fined

Worker on a Queens jobsite cited for working on plumbing installation without a license. The Department of Buildings performed a safety inspection of a worksite at 210-19 Richland Avenue in Hollis Hills, Queens, on December 1, 2020, and found respondent Khalim Sharipov, along with two other workers, engaged in plumbing work. The workers were on a scaffold with tools including a gas torch, tape measure, and copper fittings and copper piping. Buildings saw Sharipov and … <Read More>


GUEST COMMENTARY: The City of Yes – NYC is Taking Leadership on Energy Storage System Siting

 

by Caroline G. Harris, Esq. Goldman Harris LLC and Eric Vath, Esq. Goldman Harris LLC

To meet the climate goals of the 2016 Paris Agreement, New York State and New York City have adopted aggressive energy efficiency goals.  The Mayor’s 2022 City of Yes program announced numerous initiatives to make the city sustainable, resilient and equitable.  One of them, the City of Yes: Carbon Neutrality, aims to reduce our reliance on carbon-based fuels by … <Read More>


Mayor Appoints Jimmy Oddo as DOB Commissioner; Molly Wasow Park as DSS Commissioner

On April 27, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced his appointments for Commissioners for the Department of Buildings and Department of Social Services. Jimmy Oddo will be the new commissioner of the Department of Buildings, and Molly Wasow Park will be the new commissioner for the Department of Social Services, after serving as Acting Commissioner since March 2023. 

Jimmy Oddo – Department of Buildings Commissioner

Jimmy Oddo received a bachelor’s degree in history from Fordham University <Read More>


Council Adopts Law to Extend Waivers of Accessory Sign Violations

On March 19, 2023 the New York City Council adopted Local Law 43 (2023). The measure was originally introduced as Introduction 886 by Council Member Keith Powers in January 2023. The law extends a freeze on issuing penalties to property owners who are in violation of certain rules that govern accessory signage through January 1, 2025. A previous freeze was already put into place via Local Law 28 (2019) which started June of 2019.