Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Pan Am hit with $30K fine for lack of fire safety
From DNA Info:
The owner of a building that houses a controversial homeless shelter failed to appear at a hearing to address safety violations there days before it was evacuated due to a fire and has yet to pay a $30,000 fine, records show.
Steven Berger, who bought the former Pan Am Hotel in 2014 under 7900 Development LLC, skipped an April 27 hearing for safety violations that were found by fire officials during a March 10 inspection — a list that included improper fire exits and fire-rated doors and windows, according to city records.
He was hit with $30,000 in fines and penalties and hasn't paid yet, the city's Environmental Control Board said. The violations were defaulted, and he has to either pay the hefty fine or reopen the case, a spokeswoman for the ECB said.
Just days after the hearing those improper exits were put to the test when a fire broke out in a room at the building, know as the Boulevard Family Shelter, after 2 a.m. on May 6, according to the FDNY.
Hundreds of residents at the 216-room shelter had to evacuate with only four employees on duty, and many told DNAinfo New York the process was "chaotic."
5 comments:
How does the FDNY allow bunk beds crammed into a small room at this shelter. It just looks and sounds extremely dangerous to have so many people living in such small quarters!
Wow, 216 rooms, $3,000 - $4,000 per room per month from the DHS - some fine, even with 50% occupancy!
The violations were defaulted, and he has to either pay the hefty fine or reopen the case, a spokeswoman for the ECB said.
What? He defaulted. Pay it or reopen the case? How about pay it and then reopen the case if you think the fines weren't warranted?
Typical government. Everything is Back Assward.
Fire-trap shelters filled to the brim and less firefighters than we had in 2003. DeBlasio's got it all figured out... *faceplam*
When disaster inevitably happens, I sincerely hope he's held accountable.
Isn't it time for the local Fire Department House to do it's summer inspection of this dump? Perhaps the Buildings Department could conduct an inspection. What about the Board of Health and Sanitation? If there is a massive fire in that shelter or an outbreak of food poisoning, or kids with rat bites, the city will be held responsible.
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