Another Death on a Scarano-Certified Site
When does coincidence become a pattern? That’s the question Robert Scarano should be asking himself this morning. Manipulating building codes and giving the finger to entire communities is one thing; being consistently involved as a certifying architect in projects where workers are injured or killed is another. With news yesterday of Anthony Duncan being crushed…
When does coincidence become a pattern? That’s the question Robert Scarano should be asking himself this morning. Manipulating building codes and giving the finger to entire communities is one thing; being consistently involved as a certifying architect in projects where workers are injured or killed is another. With news yesterday of Anthony Duncan being crushed by a collapsing wall on a worksite at 733 Ocean Parkway, the Scarano-related death count reached three (207 South 1st and 187 20th Street). We know what he will say (in all capital letters, no doubt): It’s the fault of the developer (O.P. Equities) and the contractor (A-1 Construction Expo), not mine. Okay, we might be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in any one isolated incident. What about when it happens twice? Three times?
Even if he has no legal culpability (which we are not in the position to judge), we hope this latest catastrophe will at the very least make Mr. Scarano do a better job of picking his partners. At a certain point, it’s like being the grown up who leaves a loaded gun out on the table and then says it’s not his fault when a child shoots himself. Mr. Scarano, you must have made enough money that you can stop whoring hiring yourself out to bottom-of-the-barrel clients who cut every corner they can. Please, stop enabling their irresponsible and dangerous behavior. How can you sleep at night?
Worker in Brooklyn Dies as Wall Falls [NY Times]
Brooklyn Worker Killed [NY Post]
Construction Worker Killed in Collapse [NY1]
733 Ocean Parkway DOB Application [NYC DOB]
Comments on 207 South 1st Death [Brownstoner]
Those still tuning in will be interested (though perhaps not surprised) to note that the following posts all came from the same IP address:
Alfred Kohn-Peckler
Anon 4:37
Anon 4:27
Alex Fox
Sally Fahey
Man, Someone has friends and family working overtime to avert the blame from those who should feel shame. On his blog, Brownstoner expressed (gasp!) an opinion and raised a question that, clearly, other posters have had: who will take responsibility, and when, for the dangerous corruption in DOB resulting in so many deaths and injuries on the crappy little building sites springing up all over town? If the number of office workers killed on site went from 94 to just 107 in a year, I think there would be a different attitude. Yes, construction is dangerous, but I reiterate that NOBODY should die building a 1- or 2- or 3-family house. It is appallingly needless to waste human lives in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Hot off the presses:
It is a clueless post because any critical thinker would have thought to ask about the legal arrangements between contrator – owner – architect to see where the liability resides before making ill-informed accusations. A few minutes of research about legit architectural contracts would have led to the realization that the liability rests with the contractor in this case.
I was interested in finding factual evidence of your claim that this death is “a pattern”, as you put it, because I was concerend as you were. So I went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (http://www.bls.gov/ro2/cfoi9660.htm), and learned that: “A total of 107 fatal work injuries were reported in New York City in 2004, up from 94 in 2003, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.”
Now, if you take into account just how many proejcts Scarano has underway, it is a wonder that we don’t hear of this more often.
I just thought I would shed some perspective on this, considering I originally went into this research thinking “I am going to show that it is, in fact, a pattern”, and I was proven wrong!
Numbers don’t lie, and this architect has thousands of jobs in the works, so I stand corrected.
Did you see that article in the Daily News the other day? With the guy from “lost in Brooklyn” quoted as if he has a clue, calling Scarano “Architect of Ruin”. To think that such a reputable New York institution would draw its information from a guy who has made Scarano’s life hell only because his rent has gone up due to increasing property values that result from new Scarano buildings in his area, using the false pretence of wanting to preserve the historic nature of the statues thing… I don’t know… this guy is a real ass, and so is the journalist who was stupid enough to regard this idiot as an actual source to get ahead in his own career… really people! get a clue!
Ask yourself this, Brownstoner (and be honest!):
I this accident had not been on Scarano’s job, would you still have blamed the architect? This has personal vendeta written all over it!
Scarano has been responsible for bringing some tasteful and different buildings into our borough, and now even people from Manhattan want to live here. think of all the thousands of people he has given new lives to, instead of trying to pin this death on him. I’m sure the guy feels badly about it! Have you tried to ask him in person? I met him once. He is the nicest, most genuine Brooklynite you will meet. He has shown more taste in contributing to our great borough than you have done here. As one of your website’s biggest supporters I must say I am disapointed in you, Brownstoner!
I’ve never been a big fan of Scarano’s wirk, especially since he decided to put up a 16 story tower near my house un Williamsburg, but I think that is is time we gave this guy a break! as tragic as this poor worker’s death is, how can you blame the architect for it? Is he supposed to be at all his sites all day monitoring every single construction worker to make sure they don’t put themselves at danger? Really, be realistic!
anon 3:21, you’re a little off and…namingly? (did you just make up a word?) (that’s cool.)