Demolition As Usual In Greenwood Heights
It’s hard to slip anything past the residents of Greenwood Heights. Yesterday, the neighborhood watchdogs were on the case as a demolition crew at two adjoining properties on 22nd Street violated all sorts of building codes. Problem number one: No demolition permits. (They did get a permit for a plywood fence a couple of weeks…
It’s hard to slip anything past the residents of Greenwood Heights. Yesterday, the neighborhood watchdogs were on the case as a demolition crew at two adjoining properties on 22nd Street violated all sorts of building codes. Problem number one: No demolition permits. (They did get a permit for a plywood fence a couple of weeks ago–they just haven’t put it up around the whole site yet.) Problem number two: No shed, or clean room, for the bagging of debris and disposal of uniforms. The workers from Knockdown Contracting on the roof were wearing the right suits (all of them, that is, except for that woman in the scarf) but they didn’t have on hard hats, harnesses, or breathers. On this kind of job, they are supposed to lower the debris through the house; instead, they were throwing it from the roof, which is not only a safety hazard but also a health hazard because it generates dust and asbestos particles which travel further afield. To top it off, at the end of the day, the workers were tossing trash bags (as opposed to the hazmat bags they are supposed to use) into the back of a 18-wheeler with out-of-state plates. Calls to 311 turned into calls to 911, the cops showed up, and, from what we gather, the site was shut down. Business as usual these days, huh. GMAP
BIS – 340
BIS – 342
Kensington Gal–are you referring to the former gym on Fort Hamilton Parkway that was illegally demolished? I just happened to be walking by one day when I noticed not just work going on but the stop work order posted. I stopped in DeBlasio’s office and some kid came right over. It looked like they were filling in what they had illegally excavated, which was okay, but it smelled like there was manure in the fill–because it was cheap or because they were spiting the neighbors who had made initial complaint?
Amen to all that has been said. The latest horror story I have heard is that if your insurance company hears that there will be adjacent construction going on next to your house, they will not renew your insurance. Make sure you don’t tell and be sure your coverage is up to date and you have adequate replacement costs. It is the builders and developers who should carry the insurance for damage to next door properties.
Photos and videos of these criminal construction practices are more important than ever. We can be the eyes and ears of our communities but DOB needs to have some real teeth. Woof woof!
Mr. B, the link that was posted was not really relevant, since the person in question (if I get the poster’s drift) no longer owns the property. BIS has not updated itself in a while…
Great article, but out of date in context to this thread…just my 2 cents
Please use tinyurl.com to convert long links!
Sorry B, I think I fried your comment box with that link!
Kensington Gal, Everyone,
Send us photos of this stuff and we’ll post it. The more evidence on the web, the harder it is for bureaucrats to stall, deny, avoid…
So many stories I have heard, such as kensington gal’s. Must have been well over 100 by now. Freekin’ frustrating! And I certainly have experience my own, right in “my back yard” when the demo company decided it was a good idea to start tossing stoves out of the second story windows into a concrete back yard. Boy did that baby bounce! And the workers hand making tools from the debris, since they lacked proper crow bars, hammers, rope, etc…let alone any protective equipment. How about when the roof collapsed on 4 workers since one of the dumb asses pulled out a support beam with a length of TV cable before the other 3 could stand clear…only bruised egos, thank God.
And it is good to remember it is a “hot topic” in Marty’s office at at City Council.
BTW, kensignton gal, was the demo company MMG ?
Why is Brooklyn such a mess? These small time demo companies are such bottom feeders. Nice photos! Keep up the good work. Let’s find out where the developer lives and take a big crap on his front lawn.
I feel the pain of the adjacent sites owners. I have my own giant fiasco in the making next door to me. The bozo demo company is not taking the building down floor by floor as specified by OSHA, but tried to do a completely mechanical demo with a backhoe which has resulted in large (12’x2.5′) pieces of the building and twisted wreckage hitting my house. Some missed my 100 yr old stained glass window by inches. They had a fence deemed “inadequate” by DOB, no suits or breathers, no debris shed. The cops happened to roll by while I was telling the contractor he had to stop and ended the days work. The DOB’s SWO the following day (Saturday) shut them down. I see they are back today to figure out how to demo the property without the debris fallout as ordered by the DOB, but since a 3rd of the house has been knocked down by backhoe and the stairs demolished, it’s not safe for workers to be on the upper floors. I can’t see how they are going to do it.
All this is after enduring the illegal asbestos removal, illegal dumping and the homeless squatters in the building last year. Bill DiBlasio’s office was helpful dealing with those issues. Say what you want about the Borough President, but his office has been really helpful in getting the appropriate city agencies to address issues QUICKLY. I’m currently in touch with Jim Brennan’s office and they have been very responsive.
All this stuff is an ordeal-if it happens to you, take lots of pictures, make lots of calls. The only thing in our favor right now is that this has become such a hot button issue and there is a bill to protect homeowners next to developers being pushed in the State Assembly. Public hearings on the bill are next Wednesday, 11/15 at 10 am in Manhattan and they are open to have people testify. You must register to do so- I have a Word doc I can forward that can be faxed back to Jim Brennan’s office Monday.