From Bayside Patch:
State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, joined northeast Queens civic leaders in Bayside Friday to announce legislation that would discontinue the process of self-certification for developers.
The senator said the process, in which developers certify their own properties rather have them inspected by the city’s Department of Buildings, has long plagued communities in his district.
“I have been a long standing proponent of abolishing the self certification procedure, which creates huge loopholes for shady developers,” Avella said. “A great majority of the illegal construction that goes on in my district and beyond is due to the fact that the building plans were self-certified.”
The senator and civic leaders said the city’s Department of Buildings did not have the resources to inspect complaints for all of the problem sites throughout the five boroughs.
Therefore, the DOB should hire more plan examiners to inspect plans during the review phase, rather than allow self certification, they said.
15 comments:
A good plan, but the "powers that be" probably have a lobby that will fight it, and win...
Was that 8 story garment factory building that just collapsed in Bangladesh...killing many...self certified?
We're becoming a third world city.
It's been estimated that about 80% of NYC's new buildings that were self certified, have problems associated with the process.
"Architect" Bobby Scarano has self certified his (and others' structures). I believe, he has the highest "kill rate" (due to safety issues) than any other developer in the city.
The building trades are mobbed up.
Lots-o-luck changing this crooked system.
Celf-cert is the mob's ace in the hole.
They can literally get away with murder using it.
If the DOB cannot followup on self-certification - don't allow it. The neighbor's single family house next door was self certified to a 2 family by a single signature - No changes to the basement warranted the change but the value and legality changed - go after this Architect - people are going to die by that signature and my house will burn alongside it!
Self-Certification, have you ever heard such a crock of bullshit. How does this city get away with this kind of shit. Maybe we should have doctors become self-certified, accountants, etc. Bravo to Tony Avella, the one politician with the balls to stand up against this nonsense.
DoB needs to take some of their money (fines do NOT go to general operating - they stay w/DoB) and hire enough LICENSED plan examiners to handle the Agency's mission, as stewards of the public interest. I repeat: LICENSED! How many unlicensed plan examiners work out of the Queens office? There is only ONE with a license in Staten Island...
Tony had better wear a tempered steel cod piece when he goes up against this issue.
A lot of mobsters won't respect his Italian heritage.
EXCELLENT news!!!!
These guys should have NEVER been allowed to self-certify. Great job Tony!
good news. include landlords in that. no self certify for them. double all the fines and really collect them, not pretend to.
Vote for Tony
He's no phoney!
I second that! Avella for borough president!
We've been force fed enough Valloney-baloney!
So did Padavan and a few others.
It should be ended! But will it?
I think we're in for a long wait, because it feeds the campaign coffers of too many politicians.
Keep on plugging Tony! We're with you!
Self certification... the check is in the mail.......i won't cum in your mout.....of course i love you.......BS!
I couldn't agree more with Tony, and he's done more for us to try to deal with this nonsense - which is a giveaway to developers and an insult to the concept of governmental responsibility - than any other elected official.
Self-certification has always been the top issue under "Development/Department of Buildings" for my Policy Positions.
http://www.paulgraziano.com/policy-positions.html
Here's the full text for that set of Policy Positions:
Development/Department of Buildings
•End self-certification and the fraud associated with it.
•Conduct a complete investigation into the systemic corruption at the Department of Buildings.
•Do background checks on all contractors for ties to organized crime.
•Place an independent review authority to do random audits of the Department of Buildings.
•Remove the "flexibility" in interpreting the Building and Zoning Codes that has created so many problems during the past few decades.
•End all New York City tax abatements and financial loopholes for developers.
You may want to check out how the other candidates for the 19th Council District feel about these - and other - issues that are important to you, especially considering the large number of substantial donations most of them have taken from developers/real estate/lobbyists.
Paul Graziano,
Candidate for City Council, 19th District
www.paulgraziano.com
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