Sidewalk shed removal not simple

(re: “Adams moves to remove sidewalk sheds,” Aug. 17)

We all want sidewalk sheds down, including building owners. What neither the recent Riverdale Press story nor the letter published by Mayor Eric Adams the week before mentions is that owners pay for shedding, including a rental fee every month that shedding is up. There may be a very small number of owners who deliberately keep sheds up to avoid repair costs, but for most owners, it is the process that takes time.

I write from the perspective of a board member at an affordable housing cooperative.

A responsible owner will hire an architect to draw up plans and specifications, get bids from contractors, go to contract, get permits from the city’s buildings department, get the work done, have the architect file the building after the work is done, and wait for a DOB inspector.

For co-ops supervised by New York’s Homes and Community Renewal, the process is even longer as their approval is needed at many steps along the way.

Since the façade inspection law was passed, the buildings department has tightened the standards and made it harder and more expensive to comply. My co-op, Amalgamated Houses, spent more than $2 million on one of our buildings at 80 Van Cortlandt Park S. That still wasn’t good enough for DOB, but we ran out of money for their ever-increasing demands. 

Now we pay about $8,000 a month to keep the shedding up.

I’ve spoken to board members at other co-ops and architects who do Local Law 11 work. DOB is rejecting more filings from competent, licensed architects. Rejections can be over matters that architects do not consider life safety issues. Co-op board members want our buildings to be safe. As residents, if a building is unsafe, we are more likely to be killed or injured than a DOB inspector.

Mayor Adams can get a substantial reduction in sidewalk shedding with changes to his buildings department. As just one example, once a building is deemed unsafe, shedding must stay up until the entire building is signed off as safe.

In the case of 80 Van Cortlandt Park S., we have shedding on all four sides, as well as the inner courtyard. Even if DOB sees a problem on only one facade, the shedding must stay up on the entire building.

DOB’s over-zealous enforcement not only leads to unsightly sidewalk shedding, it increases the cost of housing in the city, which is already too expensive. If Mayor Adams really wants to reduce sidewalk shedding in New York, I know several architects and co-op board members who can offer recommendations.

Ed Yaker