420 42nd Street and the Rule of Law
The fight over the 12-story tower that developer Kenneth Wong is trying to build at 420 42nd Street in Sunset Park just escalated. Big time. At the urging of local residents, the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights and Community Board 7, the DOB took a closer look at the self-certified plans stamped by architect James…
The fight over the 12-story tower that developer Kenneth Wong is trying to build at 420 42nd Street in Sunset Park just escalated. Big time. At the urging of local residents, the Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights and Community Board 7, the DOB took a closer look at the self-certified plans stamped by architect James L. Robinson and issued a Stop Work Order (a 10-day letter of intent to revoke) after finding a reported 37 violations, including (a) failure to submit a full and accurate set of architectural plans, (b) failure to properly calculate the floor area ratio and building height for a 12-story building, and (c) failure to include a rear yard on site.
There’s been a lot of talk in the past few months by politicians about stepping up the enforcement and penalties on developers and architects who pull this kind of crap; this would be an excellent time for the DOB to show that it’s serious. If the Stop Work Order results only in a few minor fines and a few days’ delay, it will fail to provide any disincentive to other developers who thumb their noses at building regulations. When someone is caught doing this kind of thing on this scale, the penalty should be financially crippling and career-ending, as it should be for those who commit equally serious safety infractions.
420 42nd Street: This One Could Get Ugly [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
420 42nd Photo Gallery [CCGH]
Goodbye Sunset Park Views [YouTube]
420 42nd Street
Kenneth Wrong,
That was awesome!
Most of the “anti-NIMBY” and “pro-developer” posters that are freaking out here are missing the point of Lost in Brooklyn and some of the others who have objections to this building, which is:
No one is opposed to new construction – what pisses people off is when the following occurs:
1. developers lie and cut corners and start projects without taking care of neighboring properties. (underpinning woes – creating structural damage to adjacent buildings and getting away with it and not giving enoughh of a shit to repair it, or better yet, to prevent it!)
2. when developers lie to get around zoning laws to make more money (for example – community facility BS that never is meant to be implemented)
3. when developers max out FAR at the expense of the quality of the building, which will have a very long shelf life just sitting there for decades, long after the developer has retired to another state.
4. The DOB lifts stop work orders when serious ILLEGAL construction has occured.
5. Developers that create potentially dangerous buildings by not carefully following building safety codes, exposing future residents (owners and renters alike) to potential injury or death.
6. Buildings that are put up as quickly as possible without regard for design, quality of construction, or aesthetic appeal, exposing future owners to financial hardship and legal liabilities should the structure fail or require extensive upgrades/repairs due to non-conforming construction or other defects.
But the main thing is, if someone submits incomplete or unsafe architectural plans, no one can be assured that the building has been built to a high, safe standard.
The DOB is a taxpayer funded agency whose job is to protect the public by ensuring that those standards are met EACH and EVERY time a new building goes up. I think they’ve earned a big fat F, if we’re giving letter grades.
THAT is what is of concern to many of us in the neighborhood.
It’s great to be all gung ho about “progress” in brooklyn, but don’t you want to know that the building will be LEGAL, as well as safe for years to come? We can’t trust the DOB to be looking out for our best interests in this regard.
That, myy friends, is what irks many of us about the current state of construction in brooklyn.
Crawford – If a rear yard is required by code, failure to include in a self-certified set of plans amounts to a lot more than “missing paperwork”.
Likewise, failure to submit a “full and accurate” set of architectural has implications beyond just “missing paperwork” – that missing paperwork might include things such as shoring and underpinning plans. That missing paperwork might result in the collapse of a neighboring building (its happened before…).
Personally, if it is legal to build this 12-story building on this site, so be it. For those that don’t like that, change the zoning. But if it is not legal to build this 12-story building, it should be stopped. Further, if the discrepancy amounts to literally missing paperwork, the project should be stopped until the paperwork is corrected and reviewed and approved by DOB. If it goes beyond just missing paperwork, the architect should be fined and lose his or her self-cert privileges.
All of the above should be true on any project – the problem is, DOB now has a well-deserved reputation for not caring, and turning a blind eye to rogue developers, architects and builders.
Please note that St. Michael’s RC church is referenced as being 200 ft tall. Somehow the new 120 ft building is taller than the 200 foot building it is right next to. Not sure how that happened.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 6, 2007 1:19 PM
That’s because the new building is higher up on the hill than St. Michael’s.
Thank you Mr. Kenneth Wrong! You are my hero!
I love when the ignorant, brainwashed, filthy, seething, masses come to the aid of wealthy real estate developers… I almost get a tiny bit weepy. Don’t forget little people… Don’t forget that I’m going to even build a community facility to treat your meth addicted, whoring, syphilitic preschoolers in exchange for some additional F.A.R.
And I promise to pay the shipping fees (UPS Ground) for any Mexican laborers that may accidently drop dead while digging my building’s foundation.
So there. Thanks for letting me cheat a little… I plan to give back so much more to you little folk, much than the $700,000 I plan on making per unit that … I’m getting weepy again.
lostinbrooklyn is a total NIMBY troll. Move out already. There are many little towns that you can preserve. Stop preserving a big city.
Please note that St. Michael’s RC church is referenced as being 200 ft tall. Somehow the new 120 ft building is taller than the 200 foot building it is right next to. Not sure how that happened.
I agree with everything that ANON 12:26 said except the free Mumia part.
I agree with Lora at 11:07. The more of these new buildings are built the better for everyone. Even the taller the better. alot of these rent control NIMBYS wont have to move out at all. everyone is happier. NIMBYS still get to live in their old homes and NEWBIES get to live in the modern homes.