Politics & Government
NYC's Scaffold Jungle Could Face Crackdown Under New Bills
More than 280 miles of city sidewalks are covered by scaffolding — and a new bill aims to set a six-month limit for work to be done.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City's thickets of sidewalk-covering scaffolding could soon be cleared.
A new package of bills introduced by Council Members Eric Bottcher, Keith Powers and several of their colleagues aims to crack down on the city's more than 280 miles of scaffolding, known as "sidewalk sheds" in official parlance.
"That is not something you see in other cities around the world," he said during a news conference Thursday.
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Many scaffolds have been up for more than a year, with a good handful that have been up for more than a decade, a Patch investigation found.
One bill will set a six-month time limit after scaffolding has been erected for property owners to apply for work permits. Those who exceed the limit will face fines.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Another creates timelines for the removal of scaffolding if no active construction takes place over an extended period of time. The city could step in and fix unsafe building facades, with the bills going to property owners.
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