Buildings news update - July 10th, 2024

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July 10th, 2024

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NYC Heat

It's July, and we are officially in the dog days of
summer here in New York City. We have already experienced several
uncomfortable heat waves so far this year, with more high heat and high
humidity forecasted in the days ahead.

Hot weather has a major impact on the construction
industry, where much of the activity takes place outside, away from air
conditioning and protection from the sun.

Contractors and workers who are outside should take
every precaution, and follow all OSHA guidelines to prevent heat-related
injuries. That includes ensuring everyone on the work site stays
properly hydrated, avoids prolonged sun exposure, and are taking
necessary breaks.

OSHA Guidelines to Prevent Heat Illness on the Job

Read About
OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Campaign

Find Out
More Ways to Beat The Heat

DOB's
No-Penalty Inspection Program

DOB's annual No-Penalty Inspection Program is running
through the end of July, and gives homeowners, business owners, and
small property owners the opportunity to request a free DOB inspection
of their buildings to check that these structures and associated
building equipment are in good, hazard-free condition.

If we do find any violating conditions during one of
these no-penalty inspections, our inspectors will not issue violations
that carry associated penalties for a limited time, instead providing
guidance on how to correct the conditions, to give the owners the
opportunity to make corrective repairs to get their property in good
shape.

Running until July 31st, 2024, DOB inspections
performed through this program are perfect for the property owner who is
concerned about an issue on their property, looking to make repairs, but
doesn't know how to get started.

Read our Press Release

Buildings
Tech Lab Launched at DOB

Applications are open for the inaugural
Buildings Tech Lab, a
public-private initiative between the Department of Buildings and the
Partnership Fund for New York City to test new technologies to help the
DOB improve how it regulates construction and development throughout the
five boroughs.

Early- and growth-stage tech companies with a
relevant solution to one of the Lab's two challenges can learn more and
apply here.
Interested applicants are invited to attend
an information session on August
15th at 1pm ET. Applications close September 20.

Read More About the Initiative in Crain's New York Business

"Get Sheds
Down" Updates

City Council Considering New Legislation

Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo testified at the
City's Council Committee on Housing and Buildings last month, to
advocate for new enforcement tools to help the agency compel building
owners to make needed building repairs, and get sidewalk sheds down
faster.

Legislative action by the Council is critical to
implementing the administration's "Get Sheds Down" plan. Among the
proposed legislation now being considered by the City Council are bills
for graduated penalties for building owners with longstanding sheds,
enforcing building repair timelines, reducing permit lengths,
introducing more color options, and mandating better lighting.

DOB Launches Study on Local Law 11 Regulations

DOB's recently announced a comprehensive review of
the city's Façade Inspection & Safety Program, also known as Local Law
11. Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering consulting firm
headquartered in New York City, has been contracted by DOB to conduct
this study.

This review will thoroughly examine the Facade
Inspection and Safety Program (FISP) and result in a set of
recommendations for policy makers that could include changes to the
current requirements.

Read the Press Release on the New Local Law 11 Study

"Get
Summonses Corrected" in Brooklyn

DOB's Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) will be
setting up shop in our Brooklyn Borough Office for the agency's "Get
Summonses Corrected" campaign, aimed at providing property owners with
the guidance they need to resolve open DOB-issued summonses associated
with their buildings.

Resolving these open violations is important to
ensure that a property is in a safe condition. In addition, closing out
these violations can help property owners avoid major headaches when
applying for a mortgage, home insurance or when attempting to sell the
property.

Stop by our borough office on the 3rd Floor of 345
Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn on any of the following days for free
1-on-1 assistance in resolving open DOB-issued violations.

Tuesday, July 16th, – 4pm to 7pm

Wednesday, July 17th – 8:30am to 4pm

Wednesday, July 24th – 8:30am to 4pm

Find Out About More Upcoming DOB Events

Going on
Offense to Protect New Yorkers

Last month, the New York City Council passed Intro
904, new legislation which would create a new proactive building
inspection program at DOB. As part of the program, the Department would
identify potentially dangerous buildings using data analysis and
predictive technology, and inspect these buildings to determine whether
interventions need to be taken in the interest of public safety.

After the City Council Vote, Commissioner Oddo said
the following –

"Too many times, we have seen careless property
owners fail to keep their buildings safe and neglect their
responsibilities. DOB must go on the offense against these bad
actors so that we can effectively intervene before a tragedy occurs.
The creation of a proactive building inspection program will be
transformative, allowing us to investigate potential structural
issues and protect New Yorkers from dangerous conditions that could
turn deadly. We are glad that the Adams administration is making a
$4.7 million investment to green light this critical program, and
thankful to the City Council for its collaboration on this important
bill and advocacy for additional funding."

Read More in amNewYork

New Login
Process For DOB NOW

Last month, the DOB NOW Public Portal was integrated
with NYC.ID, a move that now requires all users of DOB NOW to have an
NYC.ID account in order to login.

This integration is part of the MyCity initiative,
which is creating a one-stop-shop for city services and features a
single sign-in account through NYC.ID for all online services across
city agencies.

If you are an existing DOB NOW user, go to the
public portal and
enter the email address associated with your eFiling account. The system
will automatically redirect you to the NYC.ID registration page.

Read Our Service Notice

Learn More About MyCity

Construction
Advisory: Foam Snow

Styrofoam and other polystyrene foams are a common
material used in building construction, including for insulation and
exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS). When cutting and
installing this lightweight material construction contractors are
required to implement proper housekeeping operations to prevent "foam
snow" – when debris particles are blown off the work site and litter the
neighboring streets and sidewalks below.

These particles can create a slipping hazard, clog
storm drains and pollute waterways. Contractors should be aware that
failure to properly mitigate and remove waste debris generated from the
use of these foam products will result in enforcement actions from DOB.

Read Our Construction Advisory

Deadline For
Parking Structure Reports

Reminder to parking structure owners in the Upper
East Side of Manhattan, Upper Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and
Staten Island that the deadline to submit their required initial
assessment observation reports to DOB is coming up on August 1, 2024.

These initial assessment observation reports are
critical to helping property owners identify potential safety issues at
these parking structures. Failure to submit these reports will lead to
enforcement actions by the Department.

Read our Service Notice About the Initial Observation Reports

Learn More About Periodic Inspection for Parking Structures

Service
Updates

Changes to Zoning Use Groups

Limited Gas Work Qualifications Expire 5 Years After June 2010 Issuance
and Cannot be Renewed or Reissued

Local Law 97 of 2019: Article 321 Workbook for Reporting
Prescriptive Energy Conservation Measures

NEW
REQUIREMENT: Construction Inspection Sign Off Prior to Occupancy
Requests in DOB NOW: Inspections

Update to ST1: Street Tree Checklist

New DOB NOW Login Process Requiring NYC.ID Account

DOB NOW Fees for Reinstated Applications or Applications with
Substantial Changes

Follow-up #1 - Guidelines for Mechanical Systems Work Type Filing in DOB
NOW: Build

CD8-TR: Identification of Special Inspections Form Updated

Follow-Up #1: Initial Observations of Parking Structures in Certain
Community Districts

Get
Help with the Get Summons Corrected (GSC) Campaign

Request for Consideration of a Refund: RF1 Form Revised

All Department Service Updates

Hearings +
Rules

1 RCNY

101-03 Fee for Registration of Lift Directors.

Promulgated Effective Date 07/25/24

1 RCNY 104-09 Amendment of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine
Operators Promulgated Effective Date 07/25/24

1 RCNY 3319-01 Amendment of Rules Relating to Hoisting Machine
Operators Promulgated Effective Date 07/25/24

All
Department Rules

Buildings
Bulletins

2024-003: This Bulletin rescinds 2 Directives, 3 Letters, 1 APPN, 6
OPPNs, and 17 Memoranda which were issued by the Department but are no
longer applicable under current Codes and Local Laws.

2024-004: This Bulletin provides clarification to the specific
requirements of Section BC 602.4 regarding mass timber construction.

All Buildings Bulletins

Local Laws

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

DOB will issue a Stop Work Order at a work site if it
is necessary to protect public safety, so make sure to keep your work
sites in safe condition to avoid any unnecessary project delays.

We have a new, interactive map where the public can
see all active and rescinded Stop Work Orders across the city.

See the
new Stop Work Order Map

Top Ten Reasons For Stop Work Orders

Learn More About Stop Work Orders

Enforcement
Bulletins

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

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