New York: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Jimmy Oddo unveiled “Get Sheds Down,” a sweeping overhaul of rules governing sidewalk construction sheds and scaffolding that will remove these eyesores from city streets more quickly while redesigning and reimagining those that are needed.
As per details posted on the Website of the City of New York, These sheds, sometimes called scaffolding, can be blight on public spaces and foster illegal activity. The “Get Sheds Down” plan will improve public safety and quality of life by removing them more quickly and replacing them, where possible, with more aesthetic or less intrusive alternatives, like safety netting, that keep New Yorkers safe without creating blight in public space.
For decades, the rules governing construction sheds have incentivized property owners to leave them up for long periods of time instead of completing critical façade work that is often the reason the shed is up in the first place. As a result, New Yorkers are stuck with approximately 9,000 active, permitted construction sheds with an average age of nearly 500 days and spanning more than 2 million linear feet, or nearly 400 miles, about 3 percent of the city’s sidewalk space. Mayor Adams’ “Get Sheds Down” plan will change that paradigm — incentivizing property owners to expedite façade repairs and remove sheds with expired permits from public sidewalks.
At the same time, recognizing the important safety function sheds can play when a building has an unsafe façade, “Get Sheds Down” will make traditional sheds more visually appealing when they are necessary and, where possible, replace them with effective but less intrusive alternatives.
“We have nearly 400 miles of scaffolding in New York City, taking up public space that belongs to New Yorkers and the millions who visit our city every year. Imagine visiting Rome, Tokyo, or Rio and seeing scaffolding everywhere. New Yorkers wouldn’t be happy with these unsightly constructions in other cities, and we shouldn’t be ok with them here at home. For too long, bureaucratic rules have stood in the way of progress, but today, we are turning the page and overhauling these rules from the ground up with our ‘Get Sheds Down’ plan,” said Mayor Adams.
“This plan will flip the script so that property owners are incentivized to complete safety work and remove sheds instead of leaving up these eyesores year after year. This is how we reimagine our city, revitalize our business districts, and build a safer, more welcoming city for all.”
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