In return for architect Robert Scarano voluntarily bowing out of the self-certification program last year, DOB head Patricia Lancaster agreed not to make public any of the details of the department’s investigation into the architect’s role at 32 sites in Brooklyn, according to a Daily News article. In a signed document, Lancaster reportedly agreed not to give regulators “any information or documents that form the basis for the [department's] assertions and allegations [against Scarano].” She also promised to not give the press any details “except to say that the matter has been resolved satisfactorily.” Now relatives of Anthony Duncan, a worker who was killed last year at one of worksites for which Scarano was the architect, are blaming the cover-up in part for the fatal accident. The article, however, implies that Lancaster’s actions were not illegal at the time. The no-referral practice was eliminated shortly thereafter, according to a mayoral spokesman, to “foster closer ties between the city and the [state] Office of Professional Discipline to better regulate licensed architects and engineers.”
Buildings Chief Hid Architect’s Mistakes [NY Daily News]
Another Death on a Scarano-Certified Site [Brownstoner]