NYCHA Sheds Five Miles of Unnecessary Sidewalk Shedding in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams tweeted that more than five miles of “unattended” sidewalk shedding has been dismantled at 17 NYCHA developments in Brooklyn over the past 18 months.

If you live in New York, you know sidewalk sheds. They’re the pipe-and-plywood structures built to protect people on the street (from accidents like this fatal one at Christ Church several years ago) while a building is under construction.

.@BPEricAdams says back when he was a cop, a robbery suspect he was chasing hid in NYCHA scaffolding.

— Erin Durkin (@erinmdurkin) July 9, 2015

Stefan Ringel, Eric Adams’ Communications Officer, told Brownstoner it’s true that when Adams was police officer, he pursued a suspect who hid in sidewalk shedding. “Eliminating these dark places is not just a quality of life issue or a sanitation issue, it’s a public safety issue,” Ringel told us.

With the support of the city, NYCHA spearheaded the initiative to remove a total of the more than 43,000 feet of unnecessary shedding throughout New York. According to NYC.gov (PDF), sidewalk sheds are required for construction of buildings that will be more than 40 feet high, and also for demolition of buildings more than 25 feet high.

Permits for sidewalk sheds expire after one year, or when the contractor’s insurance expires. Presumably, the many miles of removed NYCHA sheds all had expired permits.   

Now five miles of sidewalk in Brooklyn is open to the sky.

I’m excited to be at @NYCHA‘s Sheepshead Houses in #SheepsheadBay to celebrate the dismantling of OLD sidewalk sheds! pic.twitter.com/OdsH7ld5yZ — Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) July 9, 2015

For years, over 8 miles of unattended sidewalk shedding at @NYCHA has cast a dark, dangerous shadow on our city’s public housing. No more. — Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) July 9, 2015

In 17 @NYCHA developments in #Brooklyn, nearly 5 miles of useless shedding needed removal, more than enough to wrap @Prospect_Park. No more.

— Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) July 9, 2015

Eric Adams Coverage [Brownstoner]
NYCHA Coverage [Brownstoner]
Top photo by Jay Gorman via Flickr