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November 29, 2006
Deck in Co-Op building
Hi,
I live in a Co-op building in Park Slope. We have the duplex including the top floor. We also have the roof rights above our space.
To build deck I need board approval. So far so bad.
Can a board turn down my request to build a deck?
Does anyone know what are the legal requirements to build a deck? How close can I get to the edge of the roof? Do I need an architect? Is a contractor able to deal with all the legal requirements? Are there any helpful website?
Thanks inadvance
A
Comments
You need to look at the proprietary lease.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 29, 2006 1:30 PM
I have the roof rigths. It's written in my co-op lease. But this is all.
What else should be written there?
Posted by: a at November 29, 2006 1:38 PM
I think the offering plan might state what you can use the roof for....other than that try contacting city decks. They were very nice to deal with.
http://www.citydecks.com/index.html
Posted by: Anonymous at November 29, 2006 1:43 PM
>sigh< This is kind of complicated. First you must know what you can legally do regarding decks. The rule in NYC is that no more 20% of the area of the deck can be combustible(wood, oily rags etc..). Do you need to build a bulkhead or other structure on the roof for your stairs or for any other reason? In that case the building must have additional square footage available for building.
Obviously the board must approve the proposal. This is mostly separate from the permitting and plan review process at the city. The board can't stop you from starting to seek DOB approval, what they can do is not sign the paperwork required to submit drawings to DOB and thus stall your project.
The first thing I would recommend is to hire an architect(I am one). This person will help you deal with the board and fend off any seriously insane lines of inquiry regarding the feasibility of your deck. Also, since you'll be dealing with a roof and inevitably with keeping water from getting into the building someone who knows about roofing and the details of building a deck on a low slope roof will be essential for making sure the project goes smoothly.
Posted by: Dan at November 29, 2006 3:39 PM
Hee, Dan, love the line about "seriously insane lines of inquiry"! Gotta love co-op living!
To the OP, an architect will also give you the heads-up on requirements/restrictions if you're in the landmarked area of PS. Friends who built a deck in Brooklyn Heights had to jump through all the Landmark hoops about visibility of proposed deck from the street (a definite no-no).
Posted by: zeebee at November 29, 2006 3:56 PM
Hey Dan @3:39 (the architect)...Are you absolutely positive about the 20% coverage rule in NYC? I've been told 50% is the limit, and 25% for landmarked buildings.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 30, 2006 2:46 PM
What sort of a deck were you planning to build? If you just want to cover the surface with a wood decking material, why not take a look at interlocking wood deck tiles such as swiftdeck (http://www.swiftdeck.com). Although you still might have to get approval from the board, I don't think it should be so much of a problem with this type of product as they are not really a permanent fixture as they just sit on top of the rooftop surface and lock together with the interconnecting terms
Posted by: mal at November 30, 2006 10:55 PM
You may have the roof rights, but does your building's certificate of occupancy allow habitability of any type on the roof?
If not, you have to go through a lengthy and expensive process with an architect and structural engineer, plus an expediter to get the new c of o approved by the buildings dept ... then you'll have to deal with an architect, engineer, expediter and the buildings department to get a permit to build a deck on the roof.
I know beacuse I've been there. I had to tear down two roof decks because the c of o did not allow for roof habitation.
Also look at the following pamphlet available online from the DOB. Most of it has to do with backyard-type decks, but some of the basics are there:
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/swimpools.pdf
Posted by: 5w30 at December 2, 2006 12:05 PM
In response to Anon 2:46, yes I'm sure. The code is for fire protection(having a big fire catching machine on your roof doesn't sound to smart to me!) so it doesn't really make sense that it would matter if your building was landmarked.
Also in response to 5w30, changing a c of o isn't all that difficult. It changes the filing type to an Alteration Type 1 and that's more expensive but to build the deck legally you'll need an architect and an expediter so really the only additional expense is related to the cost of the filing which will run about $1000 more on average.
Posted by: Dan at December 2, 2006 2:15 PM
In Agreement with Dan, the process to changing the C of O isnt all that difficult but it can be time consuming and costly.
Also as everyone else has stated it is best to get an architect and a expediter to handle these situations. There is a lot of research involved pertaining to your building. Also, your CO-OP board has to agree to signing and taking care of violations that pertain to that property which can prevent you from even getting the C of O, and possibly even the permit to begin the construction (unless u feel generous enough to pay for them out of your pocket..which highly doubt u will want to).
But if you want someone to take a look into it, I can recommend someone for you.
Shoot me an email, or give me a call.
MVJ@tmo.blackberry.net
718-844-1054
Maurice
Posted by: Maurice at February 18, 2007 11:14 AM
You must get board approval, that in itself will be more difficult than all the required items.
LA
Posted by: Luis Abrego at February 20, 2007 10:21 AM
You must get board approval, that in itself will be more difficult than all the required items.
Either by your own choosing or your contractors, you will need an architect to be involved.
LA
Posted by: Luis Abrego at February 20, 2007 10:23 AM
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