Law firm Herrick, Feinstein LLP has launched a blog! Wait, don't change that channel just yet. It's a land use and environmental blog called ZONE, dealing a lot with real estate issues, which seem to account for many of the billable hours that keep the lights on over there. The ZONE blog has a good update on the so-called Stalled Buildings Bill that has been weaving its way through the City Council. The legislation would grant developers long extensions on their building permits as long as they take care of their pits of despair. If squatters move in or neighborhood children start getting tetanus from stepping on rusty scraps of metal, the developers' permits are rescinded?preventing them from, uh, building. Which they were doing anyway. Anyhoo, the bill is pretty much good to go (it just needs Mayor Bloomberg's John Hancock), but there is now a whole laundry list of conditions that developers must meet. Check 'em out:
The updated bill – 1015A – now has a detailed list of what needs to be included in the maintenance and safety plan. These include:
* the maintenance of construction fencing with view panels including the posting of work permits and removal of any illegal flyers or posters;
* the installation of proper shoring of excavated sites or backfilling;
* the removal of snow and ice on the sidewalks abutting the site and the removal of snow and ice on the site that poses a potential danger to members of the public;
* the maintenance of any installed fire suppression and detection systems;
* the removal of any volatile gases and liquids;
* the removal of stagnant water from any excavation sites;
* the removal of construction debris or garbage;
* the removal of any excess vegetation and graffiti;
* the monitoring of all such required measures;
* the correction of any adjudicated and outstanding violations issued to the site;
* the payment of any unpaid fines or civil penalties resulting from the adjudication of any violations issued to the site.In addition, the amended bill requires that the DOB Commissioner post on the DOB website a weekly-updated list of sites participating in the program, as well as the reason for their removal from the program.
Yeesh! That's a lot of work all for an extension on some paperwork, no? Hopefully Hot Karl Beach stays out of the program, or else where will we cool off next summer?
· Stalled Buildings Bill - Jumpstarted! [herrickzone.com]
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