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]
correction: some kind of felonies. I hope to never really learn where the cut-off is!
–an architect in Brooklyn
Licenses are granted by the State of New York. In New York, one must licensed but also registered to practice architecture in this jurisdiction. Registration lasts for three years, and has certain requirements.
Incidentially you may check on the registration of any professional here: http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm . And before you rub your hands together in glee too much, I already see that Robert Scarano is registered.
You can also view what kinds of disciplinary actions the Board of Regents does: http://www.op.nysed.gov/rasearch.htm . Even a quick browse will reveal that most stuff is for improper handingly of things related to licensure — not renewing, not keeping documents long enough, stamping someone else’s work, etc. I suppose someone could go after him for not having detailed enough plans or specifications, but that would be a long shot.
Of course, if you could link him to any kind of felony conviction, that would also revoke his license. Felons cannot be architects in the State of New York.
–an architect in Brooklyn
One more angle:
Scarrano is not a single architect anymore. There was an article some time ago about how many young architects he hires from around the country/world.
If all of these learn the trade from him and will start to open their on shops down the line, you know that there wil be problems for years to come….
I’d like to think that Scarano would take enough pride in his work to not want to have his reputation sullied by having slipshod work done by the contractors. I’d like to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but I’m not sure why he’s not bullying his contractors and developers to adress these safety issues given his willingness to bully posters on this board who don’t like his work or disagree with his views on the impact his projects have within the community.
If I could speak to him what I’d want him to take away from all of this is that whether or not he has any legal responsibility, he can and should use his power to make the projects he attaches his name to as safe as he possibly can. We can agree to disagree on whether his designs are ugly, but we should be able to come to a consensus that safety on his projects should be a paramout concern to him, to his contractors, to his developers, and to all of us living in the shadow of his work.
David, Could then – in this case -professional negligence be translated into murder? that’s some statement.
B’stoner – I know you didnt actually call the guy a murderer…..
FYI not that its relevant here but you dont need intent to be a murderer -its called Depreved Indifference Murder – same as intentional Murder 2 – if you can prove it.
Couldn’t all this info be sent to a higher level? obviously the city is doing nothing about it! are licenses awarded at a city level or state or national? any thoughts?
Scarano is not a murderer, but a negligent professional. how many more workers will have to die and how many structures should further collapse before the city recognizes him as a threat to public health?
my take – i am in league with those posters who don’t know the specifics of the interaction between developer, contractor, and architect, so i asked myself this question: “in what position would you find yourself, suzy, if you were the architect?”
the answer is that i would find myself in a position of culpability at the time of the first death, if i had not addressed the situation up until that time. i would take every measure to identify the problem, and then, to solve it. i would, then, most likely become involved in administrative (city gov’t, vox populi) reform.
i’m not self-righteous, nor am i riding a high horse. i do the right thing in my businesses. if people are being killed whilst i’m making money, i’ve got to do something. so does this guy.