Buildings news update - February 26th, 2024

Buildings

news

February 26th, 2024

DOB NOW

service notices

forms

bis

codes

jobs

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.

Read Local Law 157 of 2016

Read the full Final Rule here

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.

Read about it in Patch News

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.

Read our Press Release

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."

Find out More information About Local Law 154

Check out our Local Law 154 FAQ Document

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

Online Public Hearing: 03/13/2024 @ 11:00AM

1 RCNY 104-06 Proposed Rule - Amendment of Rules Relating to Continuing Education Requirements
and Prerequisites for Class B Hoisting Machine Operator ratings

Online Public Hearing: 02/29/2024 @ 11:00AM

1 RCNY 104-09 Amendment
of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine Operators

Online Public Hearing: 02/28/2024 @ 11:00AM

1 RCNY 3319-09 Amendment
of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine Operators (Cranes and Derricks)

Online Public Hearing: 02/28/2024 @ 11:00AM

All
Department Rules

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

types of work involving an existing fire alarm system, designed, and
approved under the 2014 Building Code or prior codes which are subject
to the 2022 Construction

Codes.

All Buildings Bulletins

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

All
DOB-Related Local Laws

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.

Check out our Top 10 List

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.

Sign-Up For Weather Advisories

Jimmy Oddo, Commissioner

comments + suggestions
|

unsubscribe
|

manage your email preferences