How San Francisco deals with illegal teardowns

From KPIX5:

The San Francisco Planning Commission made an unprecedented ruling against a developer this week, demanding that he rebuild a replica of a famous house he had illegally demolished.

The residence — known as the Largent House — was in San Francisco’s Twin Peaks neighborhood. It was built in 1936 and designed by one of the most important modern architects, Richard Neutra. Among the unique features of the 1,300-square-foot house was an indoor swimming pool.

The owner, Ross Johnston, bought the property last year. The planning department gave him a permit to renovate the house, but they did not give him the permission to demolish it.

The city believes he wanted to build a 4,000-square-foot mansion on that lot and flip it for a profit.

Earlier this week, the planning commissioners voted 5-0 to order Johnston to build the exact replica. They also want him to put up a sidewalk plaque that would let people know the original Neutra house was demolished.

Johnston’s lawyer declined to comment on our story. The city says even if he tries to sell the property, whoever buys the lot will have to build the replica.

Inspectors warn workers seconds before Fresh Meadows house collapse

From PIX11:

Half a dozen construction workers were within seconds of disaster when the sharp eyes of two building inspectors noticed the top of the Queens building was about to collapse.

Building inspectors Joseph Martucci and Johnny Mendez were examining gas lines in a house across the street when their eyes shifted to the house being renovated. They quickly spotted movement that could trap a worker.

"Suddenly the building began to shift with one worker narrowly escaping," Martucci said.

He and Mendez dashed to the site and shouted for the other workers to get out of the way.

"When I saw that coming down, my goal was to see everybody was safe," Mendez said.

Work on the 2-story house on 181st street in Fresh Meadows began at the beginning of the month and workers were demolishing a portion of the house so they could add an extension.

Investigators from the Department of Investigation were on the scene to determine if any wrongdoing was involved.

Even before a full investigation is completed, the Buildings Department has filed four violations, including failure to safeguard the site. Each violation carries a potential fine of $25,000.

Illegal demo halted in Brooklyn

Photo by Georgine Benvenuto

From Brooklyn Daily:

The city has caught yet another contractor doing illegal construction in Bay Ridge. Workers from Manhattan contractor Fortuna Design and Construction Inc. got a permit to build a new four-story apartment building between Third and Fourth avenues but had zero approval from the city to knock down the two-story house that was already there, according to a spokesman with the Department of Buildings. They took down all but one wall, shocking locals who worry unsanctioned deconstruction could be harmful to nearby buildings — or neighbors’ health.

“I was stunned when I heard about this,” said Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10. “Virtually the entire building was torn down without a permit. How is that done safely if there is no permit?”

Block residents and Beckmann herself complained to the city about the dubious demolition, so the Department of Buildings slapped workers with a stop-work order and issued a violation for the illicit tear-down, according to a buildings department spokesman. The Environmental Control Board will determine a penalty for the illegally abolished abode at an upcoming hearing, the rep said.

They just won't get a permit

"So this place has a partial stop work order and picture below near the dumpster is where they are digging. When you look at the property and what they are Zoned for, they are going way far back to the retaining wall. This owner was caught twice with stop work orders and one I had to call the cops to get them bounced out look at the pictures they are going way more than we are zoned for." - anonymous

DOB may revoke Garaufis house permits

From the Queens Chronicle:

The Department of Buildings has issued a 10-day notice of revoking permits to the owners of the property that used to host the house formerly owned by federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Bayside.

Issued on April 20, the notice informs the homeowners of the Buildings Department’s objections to the construction and gives them 10 days to respond. If the property owners do not resolve the agency’s objections, the permits are revoked.

The objections at the construction site, according to the DOB, are “Garage must be demolished,” “2nd floor joists to roof were demolished — revise demo and floor plan to match field conditions,” “Revise first floor layout,” “Revise asbestos report to ensure consistency with scope of work,” and “Aggregate width of balcony shall not exceed 50% of the width of the building wall it protects.”

The ALT-1 permit that the property’s owners were using to build requires that 50 percent of the original structure be maintained, a rule that has clearly been violated, as the house was torn down.

According to Flushing-based zoning expert Paul Graziano, the property’s owner will have trouble fighting the 10-day notice.

“The more likely scenario is that they will have their permits revoked and they will have to file for a new building,” Graziano said.

The new building permit, he added, is more expensive to apply for than the ALT-1 permit.

Judge Garaufis' house completely destroyed

"April 7th Update. ....... Here's the skinny on what's happening with the Judge's house. Looks like they're dismantling the whole thing as you can see by the latest pictures though we did meet Lisa, the daughter of the people who bought it. She's a real estate agent herself and seems very nice and though she said it was just a remodel she confirmed that it's going to be a brick building.

Now you see it - Now you Don't.
Update for April 11th, 2016. Well, as you can see, it's gone
Walked by it today to see that it's 30 seconds from completely vanished."

Let's recall that this was supposed to be an alteration, with only a small part of the building to be demolished, as per the ZD1 diagram.

Above from Bayside, Queens Facebook group

Developer destroys facade of Elks club in response to landmarking push

From LIC Post:

Unique exterior details were illegally torn from the former Elks Lodge on 44th Drive this morning just days after the local community launched an effort to landmark the property and stave off development.

Construction workers took jackhammers to the building, located at 21-42 44th Drive. An elk head, one of the building’s unique exterior details, has been hacked off.

According to DOB documents, the work was taking place without proper permits. By Monday afternoon, police had arrived to enforce a stop work order from the Department of Buildings, an officer told the LIC Post.

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, who wrote a letter to the Landmark Preservation Commission requesting landmark consideration of this property, called the illegal alteration “a disgraceful act of civic vandalism.”

He reached out to the DOB and Mayor’s office to have inspectors visit the location and issue a stop work order.

Word your DOB complaints carefully

From Brooklyn Daily:

Vigilant Ridgites must watch what they say when reporting illegal home conversions.

Watchdogs blew the whistle on contractors gutting the inside of a home between Third and Fourth avenues without a permit on Dec. 11, but the city didn’t get around to issuing a stop-work order for a week, because complainants told 311 the work was “illegal construction” rather than “illegal demolition.” The difference in one word increases the city’s target response time from 1.5 days to 45 days, and whistle-blowers need to know how to parlay the city’s lingo in order to protect their own neighborhoods, a local leader said.

“We try to get people to understand the language and use certain language to get the complaint [a higher priority],” said Bob Cassara, founder of the Brooklyn Housing Preservation Alliance.

Contractors hauled enough debris from the building to fill a dumpster, photos taken on Dec. 11 show. But whistle-blowers told 311 on Dec. 11 and Dec. 14 that the dicey demolition men were doing construction rather than destruction, and the city considered it a lesser threat, according to city records.

The Department of Buildings prioritizes complaints by rating them “A” through “D,” with “A” priority being the most immediate, according to agency materials. “Illegal demolition” gets the highest priority, but “illegal construction” gets a “B” designation.

On average, it takes the Department of Buildings 38 days to close out a “B”-level complaint, but inspectors are working as fast as they can, an agency spokesman said.

Inspectors must witness illegal work themselves, and the property owner must be present for the city to issue papers if the work is already complete, he said. Gaining admittance to inspect work sites is also a hurdle, he said.

A look inside an illegal conversion

Brooklyn Daily/Arthur de Gaeta

From Brooklyn Daily:

A Bay Ridge property owner who told the city he was doing a little renovation hacked off the front of a 94th Street residence, and now the exposed interior is giving people a peek inside an illegally converted home, locals say. The hammer-happy homeowner got a permit to do light work inside the house, but instead he ripped off the whole front wall and tossed it in a dumpster. Complaints that the owner illegally converted the basement into living space date back to 2006, city records show. Area pols promised legislation combating illegal conversions earlier this year, but the package of bills has stalled, leaving many community activists scratching their heads as illegal renovation continues to tear apart their neighborhoods.

The Department of Buildings hit a construction site at 78th Street and Ninth Avenue with a stop work order Nov. 6 after an inspector discovered the owner installed two new electrical panels without a permit, records show. Now, [Council Member] Gentile is demanding the city slap the 94th Street building owner with a stop work order before he defaces the building any further.

Japanese house in Kew Gardens hit with SWO

From the Queens Chronicle:

The historic three-story Anglo-Japanese home that’s been crumbling for years due to neglect at 84-62 Beverly Road in Kew Gardens just became one pricey fixer-upper.

According to city records, the house was sold by Mun Chang, who first bought the home in 1973, to Beverly Kew Gardens LLC for $990,000 on Sept. 10, with the document being registered last Friday.

But a day before the registration, the home, which had been previously sealed with concrete and its windows boarded up, was hit with a full stop-work order by the Department of Buildings for work without a permit.

The next afternoon, the DOB issued a violation for continuing work in the face of the order, which carries with it a $5,000 fine.

Documents relating to the type of construction planned for the site had yet to be posted to the DOB website as of Wednesday afternoon, but the agency inspector who caught the stop-work order being ignored noted in issuing the violation that demolition appeared to be taking place and that five workers were seen inside when the official arrived.

F*cked up in Flushing

This house at 30-35 150th Street in Flushing is kind of cute, eh? Well don't get too attached to it.

This is what the homeowner/architect applied to do to it.

This is what they actually did to it.

So tell me, how is a project that was audited and found to be non-compliant, with a "notice to revoke letter" sent out in June, allowed to continue into September - a partial demolition - with no construction fence and without the proper permits?

Who needs a demo permit?

Walking down the street whistling on a wonderful warm day. And what to my wondering eyes should appear? A rodent bait sign on the door. But there's no construction fence... Well, this obviously requires closer attention.

Ah, not just a rodent bait sign, but a stop work order is posted dated from this past January. Let's look into this.

So they apparently tried to hand demolish this brick building in January and after being busted, applied for permits in March. They got stopped before they could finish, but they left several open windows and holes in the place during the high snow season. Lord only knows what the inside looks like now.

The eventual plan is to replace this fine old structure with a "community facility" and 6 apartments.

The latest blow to Broadway-Flushing

"Attached are the photos of 32-42 160th Street. By the time we all sit down for dinner tonight the house will be gone. Seth from Tony Avella’s office is attempting to get a Stop Work Order but the damage is done. Completely illegally. I put a call into 311 hours ago when they had just ripped off the roof (C1-1-1085024291) and was told it could take up to 40 days for an inspector to show up. What good is having the strictest zoning in the city and a restrictive covenant?" - anonymous

In the meantime, the permits are for raising the roof, but workers have been telling neighbors that this is a top to bottom teardown.

BFHA 32-42 160th Street Zoning Challenge

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the zoning challenge that was submitted by the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association was ignored by the de Blasio administration and does not appear on DOB's website.

It's every neighborhood for itself.

"Coming to America" landmark in process of demolition?

Got word yesterday that the Wendy's restaurant at 85-07 Queens Blvd, which was transformed into "McDowell's" for the 1988 movie Coming to America, is in the process of demolition. I haven't been over there myself to check it out, but I looked it up online and didn't find an active demo permit.

A new building permit for a 7-story mixed use building was applied for on 3/12/2013, but the plan exam was rejected.

The Queens Tribune reported on the plan 8 years ago, but there hasn't been any activity at the site until now.

Most interesting is that the designation "LPCA - LANDMARKS-BSA ARCHEOLOGY RESTRICTIONS" is listed on DOB's website. Are people buried here?

Hmmm... I'll be looking into this further.

A little asbestos never hurt anyone...

From the Forum:

Residents around an abandoned factory in Glendale say unsafe, un-permitted demolition is spilling over their fences and terrorizing them through nights, weekends and holidays.

For years, the industrial building at 70-20 67th Place sat fallow, but since November, it’s a hive of illicit construction activity, said Gary Jannazzo,who lives adjacent to the property.

Workers have already ripped off the building’s roof and are moving on to windows, all the while dumping debris straight off the roof and over fences and allowing dust, noise and particles to swirl, Jannazzo said.

On Jan. 11, Jannazzo and his next-door neighbor were at Community Board 5, making an open cry for assistance.

“We need help,” he said. “For weeks I can’t open my windows; my kids can’t play in the yard. I’m afraid that they’re going to be breathing in all this junk that they’re throwing off these buildings.”

Jannazzo works in the building industry in Manhattan,and his immediate concern was asbestoscoming out of this decade-sold building without proper abatement.

CB 5 has been aware of the building since 2003,when the board protested an application for constructionon the site, Vincent Arcuri, CB 5 chair,said. But in late November, Arcuri and the board got involved again.

CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano and Arcuri observed workers violate a stop-work order from the Department of EnvironmentalProtection when CB 5 brought up concerns about asbestos.

When confronted by a DEP representative,workers harassed the inspector to the pointpolice had to be called and force work to stop,Arcuri said. But it didn’t last.

Lotsa fines, little payment

Labeled in the real estate blog Brownstoner "the queen of illegal mechanical demolition," Grasso got 144 permits from the Buildings Department between April 2008 and March 2009.

In that time, records show, her workers committed 92 documented violations, 53 of them deemed hazardous.

Total fines just for that period: $440,500. Total amount she's paid in fines since 2000: $750, records show.

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri is well aware of Grasso's record, but claims his department can't withhold permits based on past misdeeds.

"That would require a change to the Building Code or some state or city law," he said.

Cambria Heights teardown crap

How would you like to have a sign welcoming people to your town with this eyesore as a backdrop? This old Victorian house was unfortunately allowed to fall into disrepair. It's located at 119-03 Springfield Blvd. and its 1979 C of O says it was used for agricultural purposes.

I believe as of late it was used as a garden supply. It's in the middle of a completely residential neighborhood and is situated on a huge piece of property (lot = 25,500 square feet). Records show this used to be part of the Fausner farm.

Last month, a violation was issued for work without a permit when the garage on this property was demolished illegally. A mechanical demolition permit was issued just last Thursday. What will the Bayside developer who owns this property do with it? My guess is that he is clearing the land to make it more attractive to a potential buyer.

St. Saviour's site excavated without permit

Scott and Tommy are now excavating the St. Saviour's site without a permit. Surprise! The DOB states the following: Do not work in an excavation or trench that is not properly protected. Do not store spoil, materials or equipment along the edge of an excavation or trench. Do not drive or park vehicles along the edge of an excavation or trench. Oh well, I guess they'll get around to inspecting this one day...

If there actually are bodies buried there we'll never know. Maspeth gets screwed yet again. Let's recall what our current Council Member, Elizabeth Crowley, had to say about this site before she was elected:

(She was being handled by the Parkside Group back then, who was also lobbying on behalf of the developers.) Thanks for looking out for us developers, Liz!

Sad preservation story from NJ

Sad story from Asbury Park Press:

Township officials are launching an investigation into why a historic building that dates back hundreds of years was torn down this week.

The building, on Route 27 in Franklin Park, was most recently home to Chauncey's Pub. Though most of the building has been demolished, a construction official issued a stop-work order at the site the morning of Thursday, Feb. 12.

"There may be some beams or posts that are salvageable," said Township Manager Ken Daly. "We'll have to send in some people with historic expertise."

Daly said he is conducting an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the demolition done Wednesday, Feb. 11. Daly said the building's new owner, Nitin Khandwala of Livingston, put the wrong address on the application to demolish the structure, leading to an approval by a zoning official. Daly said Khandwala, who is part owner of the nearby Liquor King, wants to build a series of stores and restaurants in the area. A telephone number for Khandwala led to a pharmacy in North Jersey, but Khandwala could not be reached for comment.

"The zoning official thought he was approving demolition for a different address," Daly said. "That's why the permit did not go to the historic preservation commission as it was supposed to."