3 Family Compliance with LL 58-87
I recently filed plans with the Brooklyn DOB to renovate the garden/parlour duplex of my 100+yr old 3 family rowhouse. They responded with a few objections, most of which should be easy to remedy. However, one objection relates to compliance with Local Law 58-87, which is ostensibly about making new construction and alterations of existing buildings more accessible to people with disabilities. As is typical of most rowhouses, my house doesn’t have a single unit that is wheelchair friendly (stairs on the inside, stairs on the outside). My cursory read of LL58/87 indicates that you can get a compliance waiver, but that it has to go through the mayor’s office. I’m hoping there’s another way to be excluded from compliance, but I still don’t know the subject well enough to have found it. In the meantime, I thought I’d reach out to the Brownstoner community to see whether anyone has addressed a similar DOB objection recently, and what the process entailed. Anyone out there who has successfully dealt with this??Thanks!
lamb
in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 12 years and 10 months ago
6
154
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6 replies
brooklynexpediter | 12 years and 10 months ago
You will usually not need to revamp the entrance with the exception if there is a change of use.
Guest User | 12 years and 10 months ago
No, they’ll let you get away with the existing under-stoop entry.
lamb | 12 years and 10 months ago
OK, thanks for your responses! The bathroom and kitchen maneuverability requirements seem easy enough to deal with, I just hope we don’t have to revamp the garden level entry (like replace the stairs with a ramp!).
masterbuilder | 12 years and 10 months ago
We currently have three projects in the works in which Local Law 58/87 plays a prominent role. However, these are commercial jobs. Having also recently wrapped up a reno which included the garden, I can guarantee that compliance – if required there – would have been difficult to impossible. Getting the new fridge in was a monumental task in itself, highly restricted by the location of the garden and cellar stairs.
Why not call the office/contact who handles the waivers and ask them what the procedure is?
Also if you want the building requirements for 58/87, feel free to email me.
masterbuildernyc@gmail.com
www.bgrnow.com
jockdeboeraia | 12 years and 10 months ago
Yes, you need to comply. I have never asked for a waiver as no one ever wanted to take the time for it. Can’t tell you if it is worth it.
Guest User | 12 years and 10 months ago
In your case, this will apply to the lowest level, most likely the “garden” (basement) apartment. They are mainly concerned with door widths and maneuvering clearances in bathrooms. Your architect should be extremely familiar with what this all means, but in general, these things are typically easy to comply with.