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March 7, 2009
Street Work on your Building
At about 11:45PM some workers pulled up outside our apartment building and started unloading a Ryder truck. First they moved some boxes off, then they started tossing pipes out of the back. Next some other trucks pulled up, and pretty soon there was a lot of shouting going along with the pipe tossing.
I called 311 and verified that Empire Erection (please refrain from refrences about aforementioned pipe-tossing) had a permit to be here to erect a crane. They were alowed to produce noise up to 10 decibels. With no decibelometer present, I turned to my next option: A good old-fashioned window shout, "Hey, can you be quiet? It's late!"
The erectors laughed and increased the arc on their pipe-tossing. So the question is: what can I do?
By the time I read responses, I'm sure it will be too late, but perhaps the answers would be useful to some other readers.
I understand that these guys need to do their job, but they don't have to give everyone else the finger while doing it. I also know that plenty of folks have no problem sleeping through external racket on a Friday night - thanks to many a scotch or beer - and a year ago, I would have been one of them, but tonight I'm just trying to get my 6 week old to sleep.
Comments
Did you call the cops?
Posted by: corolla at March 7, 2009 9:01 AM
Is there a permit on display somewhere?
NYC DOB Cranes and Derricks, 280 Broadway, 5th Floor: 212-566-4696, 4685
Posted by: vinca at March 7, 2009 9:25 AM
BTW, although too late now, you might want to read: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dob/html/applications_and_permits/crane_home.shtml
Construction activities are normally limited to Monday through Friday, from 7am-6pm. Where circumstances warrant it, the DOB will issue a permit variance for after-hours or weekend work. A permit for after-hours or weekend work must be displayed to demonstrate that permission has been given. Permit variances are granted on a case-by-case basis and must be requested at the appropriate borough office prior to starting any work outside of the normal allowed hours.
Posted by: vinca at March 7, 2009 2:53 PM
Decibels are logarithmic - 15 dB is a whisper. Not sure where they got 10 dB, but that's basically silence.
Posted by: j2 at March 7, 2009 9:07 PM
Some jerks did the same thing in front of my building once. It's against the law, obviously, but by the time the DOB inspector shows up the next day (at the earliest) the scaffolding is up and the installers are long gone.
As the economy tanks, expect to see more and more "night crews" doing crazy stuff to save money.
Posted by: IronBalls at March 8, 2009 10:30 AM
Thanks for the responses, and sorry I went awol there...
so the noise was minimal after I went down and took some photos of the vehicles. They looked a bit concerned and asked what I was doing. I said I knew they had a permit, but they were being way too loud... that I was going to let that be know.
Total BS, I know, but it seems to have worked.
Posted by: dwarbi at March 8, 2009 11:06 PM
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