DoB Planner From Another Planet
Hello there. We’re doing an Alt Type 1 alteration on a Brooklyn building. We’re going from a building with no certificate of occupancy in the records (it’s been used as a three family/one commercial unit, always in the same family’s hands) to a two unit residential. We had initially wanted to keep a commercial space…
Hello there. We’re doing an Alt Type 1 alteration on a Brooklyn building. We’re going from a building with no certificate of occupancy in the records (it’s been used as a three family/one commercial unit, always in the same family’s hands) to a two unit residential. We had initially wanted to keep a commercial space that had once been in the building but has long since gone out of use.
We are facing a plan examiner from hell. We have thus far had three visits with him following the initial plan disapproval. The examiner is completely erratic. One visit it may be make the bathroom bigger, the next, make it smaller. He wants a fire escape, he doesn’t want a fire escape. It goes on and on. Our architect has made every change the examiner has asked for, and then the examiner has literally asked for things to be changed back to what he initially objected to. He did not want us to have the commercial space, so we took it out of the plans, and in the latest meeting, he told our architect “what about the shop? You know you are allowed to have a shop.” Our architect is about to explode, and we are totally stuck in the meantime, unable to do anything. The examiner is a very old man. We have an expediter as well, and he says he’s seen nothing like this. How do we get around such an erratic person? What options are available to go around this examiner?
All I can say is that it is ridiculous how some city agencies are run. Good luck.
“His weak points are sprinkler requirements for gut rehabs even less then 50%.”
That is so arcane, that is funny.
I got it. He is actually a pleasure of an examiner to deal with in general. His weak points are sprinkler requirements for gut rehabs even less then 50%.
Nope, a J. I’m honestly just being paranoid, the application has only been in about 1.5 weeks now, and I have to realistically expect 4 weeks minimum on it.
mixicon – Does his first name also start with a C ?
Great our examiner’s last name begins with a C and we got denied today, now I’m worried!
I’ve heard another interesting thought about why things are so gummed up at the DoB. I was told their union was in contract negotiations and examiners were slowing things down as part of that give and take.
What is the plan examiner’s name ? If you don’t wat to publicize it send it personally to me via e-mail to: brooklynexpediter@gmail.com together with a copy of his/her objection sheet and I will take a look. Even though I will take one guess that his last name starts with a C or a M ?
Personally, I would be inclined to document all his strange carryings on and file a formal complaint with the head of the DOB and cc. the mayor. Such incompetence is very costly to DOB users.