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>


City Planning Commission Discusses Zoning for Carbon Neutrality Amendment Ahead of Public Review Process

Commissioners raised early questions about implementation and funding issues. On January 30, 2023, the City Planning Commission held a review session and overview discussion for the proposed Zoning for Carbon Neutrality amendment, one of the three City of Yes amendments proposed by Mayor Eric Adams last year. The Zoning for Carbon Neutrality amendment aims to reduce or eliminate unnecessary restrictions within the zoning text that inhibit a developer or building owner from using sustainable technology <Read More>



Pre-K Provider Loses Contract Extension

The Department of Education refused to renew a Universal P-K contract due to health and safety violations. The New York City Department of Education contracted with the Modern Organization & Human Development Center to provide Universal Pre-K services at 4718 Farragut Road, in Brooklyn.


City not liable for tree root injury

Man tripped on a sidewalk that was raised because of growing tree roots. On March 5, 2017, Konstantinos Gallis tripped and fell on a raised part of a sidewalk adjacent to 23-21 33rd Road, Queens. Tree roots had raised the sidewalk and allegedly caused the trip.


$20k fine for crane wind violation

Crane engineer failed to follow procedure for securing cranes during high winds. Matheau Chaudanson was a supervising engineer at a construction site located at 608 West 40th Street, Manhattan. One of Chaudanson’s responsibilities was to monitor wind speeds and direct the out-of-service configuration of crawler cranes in order to ensure safety.  Chaudanson, in anticipation of wind speeds of 60 miles per hour, participated in a meeting to discuss crawler crane configurations on February 25, … <Read More>