State Assemblyman Turns Up Heat on Developers
The mounting problems and complaints about shoody work by developers and contractors is starting to get some attention at the state level. According to the Greenpoint Star, State Assemblyman Jospeh Lentol is pushing for demolition applicants to undergo the same scrutiny as those wishing to exacavate do. He also wants to expedite reparations from developers…
The mounting problems and complaints about shoody work by developers and contractors is starting to get some attention at the state level. According to the Greenpoint Star, State Assemblyman Jospeh Lentol is pushing for demolition applicants to undergo the same scrutiny as those wishing to exacavate do. He also wants to expedite reparations from developers by making them put money into escrow before starting a project. The impetus for these efforts are recent problems in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.
Consensus: DOB a Mess [Greenpoint Star]
Johnny I,
If you’re in the business you’d know that it’s the architect that self certifies, not the developer.
If you’d like to be taken seriously, you need to, without question, know precisely about what you speak.
I do agree with you, and I am in the business, that there are a large number of the unscrupulous going full blast without repercussion. Brownstoner has (intentionally or unintentionally) provided forum to shed light on these criminals, have we forgotten The Spencer, it’s developer…er…snakes, and it’s marketer/broker…er…worse lying snakes.
There is a stand out violating architect, and a horrific hobbit excuse for a broker, that work with or represent 99% if not all of the sick careless mongers screwing people and neighborhoods simultaneously. They run their operations only one large block apart from one another allowing for the courtesy reach around and two or three smokes between glad handing the press and blinding the borough prez with bs.
Don’t cry about these situations, do something other than tying up the DOB telephone lines, talk to your fellow developer, don’t be a greedy sob and hire the mezzanine monger, and certainly steer anyone you know, consumer or developer away from the deceiving sideshow chainsmoking namesake.
Take action, don’t just blow steam. If the crooks are identified because no one else will do business with them then and only then will DOB have a chance to root them out. If you’re greedy and get in bed with or hire them – you can only blame yourself. Magic’s fund took one look at the poor excuse for a disheveled two faced marketing facade and “Just said NO”.
I too am pretty diillusioned about the DOB and their apparent lack of concern about developers routinely stretching and then breaking the zoning requirements, courtesy of the self-certification process. 480 State street has been written about previously on this blog (http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/02/state_street_we_1.html) and since voicing my opinion on the aesthetic qualities (or lack thereof) on that posting, I’ve discovered, from examining plans for the project, that the developer has not provided a setback that was shown on the approved plans and that (by my calculations – I’m in the business) is exceeding the allowable FAR square footage by about 15%. Despite an initially cooperative response from the DOB following my complaint, the job continues apace and I’m not getting any replies to my contacts with the DOB on the status of the complaint. I know they’re seriously understaffed, but if they can’t stay with an investigation where the precise specifics of a zoning violation are laid out for them, it makes you wonder what hope there is in the cases where the complaint is less supported by documentation. The current self-certification system is a devopers’ license to print money and despoil our neighborhods.
John Ife
Please, please, please I hope this goes through. I’ve got a developer about to start demo to build a 7 story building sandwiched between 2 frame houses, one of them mine. We spoke to the guy about his plans and about the fact that there is a dispute about our shared property line. We wanted to make sure he knew where the line is and that we’re not giving up one inch of our lot for their construction fence or anything else. He got a concerned look on his face, and said that his architect was originally going contact us about “giving us a couple thousand dollars” to use part of our property. We haven’t been contacted to date. Which pretty much means that they had already designed the plans figuring on either putting building footings extending under our lot line or expected to shore up foundation pourings from our side. He was promptly informed that’s not going to happen.
The point is, they assumed and drew plans up based on using land they don’t own. And probably would’ve started work thinking they could get away with it. I’m sure we wouldn’t have been contacted by the architect until after excavation had started and the collapse of our cement walkway next to their lot necessitates it.
Any pressure applied to the DOB and developers to be more responsible to their neighbors and their communities is fine by me. I’m writing my district assemblymen and councilmen to let them know of this initiative and how it is needed citywide, IMMEDIATELY. There have been way too many news items lately about the havoc these guys have wreaked on small homeowners. And I totally agree with Shahn about more budget for DOB enforcement and esp. banning architects abilities to self-certify plans. But every little bit helps and every photo op brings more light to the problem.
Nice politiking, but it will never happen. Money in escrow for potential problems in a project? Occupied condo conversions have this in place as part of the requirements, but vacant condo conversions (mostly new construction) do not. The idea is that because it is new, it shouldn’t need a reserve.
How about Mr. Lentol lobbies Bloomberg for more budget money for the DOB so they can do a better job of cracking down on shoddy / illegal work? They should also no longer allow architects to self-certify plans. It may not make for a great political photo-op, but it makes more sense.