Buildings news update - October 25, 2024

Buildings

news

October
25, 2024

DOB NOW

service notices

forms

bis

codes

jobs

Sidewalk
Sheds at City-Owned Buildings

When it comes to getting construction sidewalk sheds
down, the city is leading by example. In recent months we have been
working to remove some of the longest standing sheds in front of
city-owned buildings.

In late August, DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo joined
staff from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and other
administration officials, to celebrate the removal of the sidewalk shed
in front of the OCME Manhattan Forensic Pathology and Family Services
Center at 520 First Avenue that had been at the site for 15 years. It
had served the notorious distinction
as
the oldest continuously standing city-owned shed anywhere in the five
boroughs.

Earlier this month, half of another long-standing sidewalk shed was
taken down from the front of a city-owned building,
this
one located at 253 Broadway, right across the street from City Hall.
The other half is scheduled to come down in December.

Through our

"Get Sheds Down" initiative, DOB is working closely with our
sister agencies to prioritize facade repair projects, so that these
sheds can safely come down as soon as possible. This initiative has
helped aid in the removal of 16 long-standing sheds in front of
city-owned buildings and we're still just getting started.

Local Law 97
Updates

Local Law 97 (LL97) deadlines are fast approaching! We are in the first
compliance year (2024) and the first compliance reports are due on May
1, 2025. It is important to know which pathway your buildings must
follow – check the

Covered Buildings List on the DOB's Sustainability webpage.
Check out our webpage for information guides, templates,
FAQs, and additional information. The Department encourages building
owners to contact NYC Accelerator
to get free help. Questions can be submitted to the department by
emailing
ghgemissions@buildings.nyc.gov.

Earlier this month, over 350 New Yorkers attended the NYC Accelerator
Service Provider Expo and Symposium, hosted by our partners at the
Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) and NYC
Accelerator. The free event offered a presentation by the Department on
LL97, and helped connect property owners with sustainability
professionals as part of the city's efforts to provide support to
stakeholders as they work to comply with LL97.

On Wednesday, November 7th, DOB will be holding an online public hearing
for our third major proposed LL97 rules package. The proposed rules
include the creation of a new affordable housing offset fund (the
GreenHOUSE fund), which provides a compliance pathway for building
owners who are working towards carbon emissions reduction goals, while
reducing emissions in affordable housing right here in New York City.
The GreenHOUSE fund ensures that all health, climate, and economic
benefits are local!

Check out our New Proposed Rules in The City Record

Read our Press Release About the New GreenHOUSE Fund

Read our Press Release About New Federal Grant Money

Expansion of
DOB NOW: Licensing

This month, DOB is launching new functionality in DOB NOW: Licensing.
Starting on Wednesday, October 16th, the following license types are
available on the DOB NOW: Licensing portal:

Construction Superintendents

Site Safety Managers

Site Safety Coordinators

Hoist Machine Operators

Lift Directors

License applications, renewal submissions, card re-issuance requests and changes
to information will be processed through DOB NOW: Licensing and
are no longer available in DOB NOW: BIS Options.

Find Out More About DOB NOW: Licensing

Read Our Service Notice for Site Safety Professionals

Read Our Service Notice for Hoist Machine Operators

Read Our Service Notice For Lift Directors

Introducing
the Worker Wallet

Working in construction means having the right training for the job, and
that also means a lot of training ID cards. New York City regulations
require workers in specialized roles, like scaffold installers and
workers who use rigging equipment, to carry multiple qualification ID
cards on them while on the work site, which serves as proof of training
in these specialized jobs.

In order to make it easier for industry members to prove they are qualified
for these jobs, DOB is introducing the new Worker Wallet, a single card
that will replace all existing non-SST training cards required for
scaffold work, riggers, mast climbers, and gas piping inspectors.

Modeled after our highly popular Site Safety Training (SST) cards, the
Worker Wallet card will feature a uniform design and NFC chip that can
be scanned using a smart phone app, quickly providing details of all
specialized qualifications a worker has.

Not only with this new card provide greater convenience for workers, who no
longer will need to carry around multiple ID cards, but it will also
help combat fraud thanks to the NFC chip validation technology.

The first Worker Wallet cards will be issued by DOB-approved training
providers in November. By July 1, 2025, the Worker Wallet will be the
only card accepted on New York City jobsites for the following
qualifications:

Mast
Climber User/Operator and Refresher

Climber/Tower Crane Rigger

Rigging Supervisor

Rigging Worker

Supported Scaffold User

Supported Scaffold Installer & Remover

Suspended Scaffold User

Suspended Scaffold Supervisor

Periodic Gas Piping Inspector

Find
Out More Information About Training on our Website

Parking
Structure Violations

The owners of parking structures in New York City are legally required to
submit periodic inspection reports to the Department of Buildings on the
condition of these buildings. This requirement is a critical public
safety requirement, meant to catch unsafe structural conditions before a
collapse occurs.

Earlier this month, DOB issued 2263 Class 1 violations to the owners of
parking structures located across the city, for their failure to submit
required Initial Observation Reports, that were due to the Department on
August 1st, 2024.

We have created a new map that shows the exact location of all of the
parking structures in the city that still haven't submitted their
required observation report.

DOB takes these requirements seriously, and additional enforcement actions
will be issued to property owners that fail to comply.

Check out our Map to Find Garages With Missing Reports

Find out More About Parking Structure Inspections

Parapet
Observation Reports

Property owners in the city with building parapets fronting the public
right-of-way are required to complete an observation report of the
parapets on their building every year. Detached 1- and 2-family homes,
and buildings with a barrier or fence preventing access to the exterior
wall are exempt from these requirements.

This annual observation entails a simple visual inspection of the
building's parapets, and can be performed by anyone who is qualified to
identify parapet damage, including construction professionals, handymen,
building superintendents, and even the property owners themselves. The
inspections can be performed from a roof, and don't require any special
equipment. The annual reports, recording the results of this simple
inspection, don't need to be filed with DOB, however they must be kept
by the property owners for the next six years.

Every year, DOB responds to dozens of parapet collapses across the city.
These incidents are preventable with proper preventative maintenance.
These new annual observations provide property owners with an important
new tool to help spot unsafe conditions and intervene before serious
damage occurs.

Find
Out More About This New Requirement

Read our Industry Notice

Temporary
Equipment as Art Canvas

In
collaboration with the NYC Department of Cultural affairs, we launched
the City Canvas program, which creates opportunities for artists and
building owners to install public artwork on temporary construction
sheds, fences, and scaffolding.

And you have plenty of options! Property owners can choose either to
commission site-specific artwork to beautify their protective
structures, or to select from an amazing suite of pre-approved artworks
that make the process even easier.

Thanks to legislation recently passed by the City Council, the City
Canvas program now allows artists to paint their work directly onto the
sheds and fences. This change further streamlines the installation of
artwork to improve the look of these temporary structures, so that while
they are in place they are adding to our vibrant city streetscapes.

Learn More About City Canvas

Learn More About City Council Intro 0956

Construction
Advisory For Excavation Work

The
Department of Buildings has issued a construction advisory to the
industry about proper excavation procedures during construction
operations.

A
cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car! That is approximately
3,000 lbs. A relatively smaller landslide at an excavation site can have
fatal consequences.

Contractors and industry professionals need to ensure that all required
safeguards are implemented to ensure their sites are safe for workers
and the public.

Check out our Construction Advisory

Service
Updates

Lift Director License Type to Launch in DOB NOW: Licensing Beginning
October 16, 2024

Site Safety License Types to Launch in DOB NOW: Licensing

Civil Penalties for Failure to File Retaining Wall Report

Follow-up #1: Hoisting Machine Operator License Types to Launch in DOB
NOW: Licensing

Violations for 2023 Failure to File Annual Boiler Inspection Report and
Failure to File Affirmation of Correction

New Certification & License Requirements for the Operation of a Fixed
(non-rotating) Telehandler

Proper Attachment of Suspended Loads

Extension of Expiration Date of Limited Gas Work Qualifications Issued
before January 1, 2020

Next
Day Review Program Launches 90-Day Pilot in Manhattan

All Department Service Updates

Hearings +
Rules

1 RCNY 101-03 Amendment of Rules Relating to Homeowner Resolution
Program (Fees Payable to the Department of Buildings)

Public Hearing: 10/30/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 101-03 Proposed Amendment of Schedule of Fees to Include Fees
Associated with Filing of Emission Reports (Fees Payable to the
Department of Buildings)

Public Hearing: 11/07/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 102-04 Waiver of Certain Civil Penalties with respect
to Small Businesses (Civil Penalties for Work Without a Permit and for
Violation of Stop Work Orders)

Promulgated Effective Date 10/26/24

1 RCNY 102-06 Amendment of Rules Relating to Homeowner Resolution
Program (Homeowner Resolution Program)

Public Hearing: 10/30/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 103-01 Waiver of Certain Civil Penalties with respect to
Small Businesses (Low Pressure Boiler Inspection and Filing
Requirements, Penalties and Waivers)

Promulgated Effective Date 10/26/24

1 RCNY 103-05 Waiver of Certain Civil Penalties with respect to
Small Businesses (High-pressure Boiler Inspection and Filing
Requirements, Penalties and Waivers)

Promulgated Effective Date 10/26/24

1 RCNY 103-07 Proposed Amendment of Penalty Provisions Rules
Relating to Failure to File Energy Efficiency Report (Energy Audits and
Retro-Commissioning of Base Building Systems)

Public Hearing: 11/07/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 103-10 Amendment
of Penalty for Failure to File Certification of Gas Piping Inspection
(Periodic Inspection of Gas Piping System)

Public Hearing: 10/22/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 103-12 Proposed Filing Requirements for Application to Adjust
Emission Limits (Requirements for Filing Applications for an Adjustment
of Annual Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits for Not-for-Profit Hospitals
and Healthcare Facilities)

Public Hearing: 11/07/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 103-14 Proposed Calculation of Emission Limits for Buildings
(Requirements for Reporting Annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions for
Covered Buildings)

Public Hearing: 11/07/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

1 RCNY 3301-04 Rules relating to Duties and Inspections performed by
Licensed Construction Superintendents

Public Hearing: 10/22/24 @ 11:00 a.m.

All
Department Rules

Buildings
Bulletins

2024-006: This Bulletin rescinds 20 OPPNs, 3 TPPNs and 2 Memoranda
which were issued by the Department but are no longer applicable under
current Codes and Local Laws.

All Buildings Bulletins

Local Laws

All
DOB-Related Local Laws

Upcoming
Events

Every week, DOB holds online and in-person events for
industry professionals and members of the public.

On Friday, November 1st, DOB's Administrative
Enforcement Unit (AEU) will be hosting two virtual Q&A events that are
open to the public, to help New Yorkers get answers on how to resolve
open summonses.

Sign Up For the AEU Q&A Session for Property Owners and Small Business
Owners

Sign Up For the AEU Q&A Session for Industry Professionals and Filing
Representatives

See Our Schedule for All Upcoming Events

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.

Stop Work
Orders

DOB will issue a Stop Work Order at a work site if it
is necessary to protect public safety.

Avoid any unnecessary project delays, by taking the
necessary steps to keep your work sites in a safe condition.

See our
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

comments + suggestions
|

unsubscribe
|

manage your email preferences