| Buildings news |
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February 26th, 2024 |
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Deadline For Natural Gas Detectors
Earlier this month DOB published a rule implementing a Local Law passed by the City Council in 2016, requiring natural gas detectors in all apartment building units, hotel rooms, and smaller residential properties that are not owner-occupied. Local Law 157 of 2016 was introduced in the Council following a series of deadly gas explosions in New York City. With the final rules for the law issued, a law-mandated deadline has kicked in, and landlords covered under the law now have until May 1, 2025, to install detectors inside each dwelling unit in their properties. A New DOB Home in the Bronx
On Starting on Monday, March 11, 2024, DOB will officially open its new location for the Bronx Borough office located on the 5th floor of 1775 Grand Concourse, in the Mount Hope neighborhood of the Bronx. The new office is conveniently located next to the 174-175 Streets B and D train subway stop and multiple city bus routes on the Grand Concourse. To facilitate the move, on Thursday, March 7, all customer service windows at the old Bronx Borough Office location located at 1932 Arthur Avenue will be closing early at 2pm. The office will also be closed to the public on Friday, March 8. Industry members who have business in the Bronx are encouraged to conduct transactions with the Department remotely during these days. Read our Service Notice for More Information Getting Sheds Down
As part of our "Get Sheds Down" plan, the City is using all the tools at its disposal to crack down on long-standing sheds in front of buildings where repair work has been allowed to stagnate. Since the plan was announced in the Summer of 2023, we have already seen a net-reduction of over 600 sidewalk sheds in the city. A key element of the plan is increasing the frequency of issuing criminal summonses against negligent landlords that refuse to make the necessary building repairs that would result in their sidewalk sheds being taken down. Taking building owners to court over their long-standing sheds has proven to be an effective tool to get delayed repairs back on track. The Department will continue pursuing these cases in the interest of promoting public safety and returning valuable public space back to New Yorkers. Learn more about the "Get Sheds Down" plan REMINDER: Parking Structure Inspections
Under the city's Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures (PIPS) program, the 1056 properties with parking structures located in Lower Manhattan, Midtown and the Upper West Side were required to file their first PIPS report to DOB at the end of 2023. Property owners that missed the deadline have been accruing penalties of $1,000 each month until they submit their late reports. Thanks to this automated monthly enforcement, we are already seeing our compliance rate start to rise, as more property owners are having their parking structures inspected by contracted professional engineers. Parking structure owners in other areas of the City, including the Upper East Side, Upper Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are reminded that they must also submit an initial assessment observation reports to DOB by August 1, 2024. These initial assessment reports are in addition to the full PIPS engineering reports due by December 31, 2025 or December 31, 2027. Read our Service Notice About the Initial Observation Reports Read our Press Release About Late PIPS Reports Check out our Interactive Parking Structure Inspections Map Learn More About Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures Engineer Receives Two-year Suspension
Earlier this month a stipulation agreement was signed by the Department of Buildings with Professional Engineer Richard Koenigsberg, related to his negligence in inspecting and identifying structural elements of a building located at 1915 Billingsley Terrace leading up to a partial collapse that occurred last December in the Morris Heights neighborhood of the Bronx. Acting in his capacity as a Professional Engineer contracted by the owner of 1915 Billingsley Terrace, Mr. Koenigsberg misdiagnosed a load-bearing column at the northeast corner of the building as decorative in his engineering drawings. This erroneous conclusion put into motion the events that led to the major collapse, where thankfully no one was killed or seriously injured. In the legally-binding stipulation agreement, Mr. Koenigsberg agreed to a voluntary two-year suspension of his ability to conduct façade inspections in New York City under the Local Law 11 Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), and he also agreed to pay a $10,000 fine. Cold Form Steel Construction Advisory
On February 2, New York City saw the first building construction-related fatality of 2024, when the cold-form steel decking collapsed into the cellar of a building, trapping a worker below. This tragic incident should not have happened. Following the incident, DOB had issued a Stop Work Order at the site, and launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident in tandem with our partners in law enforcement. Over the past several years, there have been multiple construction-related collapses that involve the use of cold-form steel. These previous incidents could have all been easily avoided if contractors ensure that the steel is properly installed and not overloaded. Check out our construction advisory on cold-form steel Fossil Fuels Phased Out for New Construction
In order to meet NYC's ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals, the City Council passed Local Law 154 of 2021, which phases out fossil fuels in newly constructed buildings for cooking, heating and service hot water. "The first phase of the law went into effect January 1, 2024, for new 1 and 2 family homes, and all other occupancies less than seven stories high." |
Service Updates NEW REQUIREMENT: Initial Observations of Parking Structures in Certain Community Districts Reinstatement Fees: Abandoned Applications, Expired Permits and Applications, Amended Plans New Application Requirements for Renewing Special Inspection Agency Registration Follow-up #1 – Local Law 154 of 2021: On-site Fossil Fuel Combustion Limitations in DOB NOW All Department Service Updates Hearings + Rules
1 RCNY 103-02 Amendment
of Penalties for failure to file Elevator Affirmations of Correction related to the 2022 and 2023 inspection cycles
1 RCNY 104-06 Proposed Rule - Amendment of Rules Relating to Continuing Education Requirements
and Prerequisites for Class B Hoisting Machine Operator ratings
1 RCNY 104-09 Amendment
of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine Operators
1 RCNY 3319-09 Amendment
of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine Operators (Cranes and Derricks) Buildings Bulletins 2024-002: This Bulletin rescinds 2 Directives,1 Letter, and 13 Memoranda which were issued by the Department but are no longer applicable under current Codes and Local Laws.
2024-001: While superseding BB 2015-025, this Bulletin clarifies the Local Laws Intro. No. 689-A - A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to elimination of permit and or filing fees for green building projects undertaken on one to three family homes Small Businesses Small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York City can receive one-on-one guidance and helpful consultations for their projects by reaching out to DOB's Small Business Team (SBT). Whether opening a new place of business or renovating an existing one, SBT gives the City's small business owners and entrepreneurs the dedicated support they need. The first step for your small business is filling out a SBT support request form on our website. Upcoming Events Every week, DOB holds online and in-person events for industry professionals and members of the public. Have questions and need answers? Join us of for a live online Q&A session, or one of our in-person industry meetings. See Our Schedule for All Upcoming Events Stop Work Orders In an effort to better educate the industry on why DOB issues Stop Work Orders at construction sites, we publish a quarterly list of the top 10 reasons why these enforcement actions are taken. DOB will issue a Stop Work Order at a work site if it necessary to protect public safety, so make sure to keep your work sites in safe condition to avoid any unnecessary project delays. We have also added a new, interactive map where the public can see all active Stop Work Orders across the city. Read Our Stop Work Order Guidance See the new Stop Work Order Map Enforcement Bulletins Earlier this month, DOB took actions to suspend the inspection authority of a Professional Engineer for their conduct at a building in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx, prior to a partial building collapse. DOB publishes monthly bulletins detailing the agency's efforts to sanction and deter bad actors in the construction industry. You can find this information posted on the Enforcement Action Bulletin page of our website. Additional Disciplinary Actions & Voluntary Surrenders Weather Advisories When severe weather strikes, it pays to be in the know. The Department of Buildings emails out weather advisories when NYC is expected to face high wind events and other types of severe weather. |
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Jimmy Oddo, Commissioner |
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