We are calling on the New York City Council to pass legislation to restrict After Hours Variances for construction
Variances are granted (it seems by rubber stamp) by both the Department of Buildings and The Department of Transportation for projects that do not meet the requirements (for work done near schools or public spaces, for heavy construction work that might require sidewalks to be closed to protect pedestrians, or for work that would cause traffic gridlock if it’s done during the day) throughout the city. The Quality of Life impact of these variances is severe, as the noise - sometimes deafening - leads to many sleepless nights. For the sake of the millions of residents of New York City, there needs to be a limitation on After Hours Variances by both agencies.
The Council quickly heard and approved their own 32% raise while this legislation has been tied up in committees for two years without so much as a hearing. It is time for the Council to act for their constituents.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
April 15, 2016
March 30, 2016
I have spent the last few days drafting a formal letter to the Council committee chairs demanding a public hearing on this matter. We are also preparing a briefing package to show how the current variance system fails to protect residents from repeated noise violations. I will provide a summary of the responses we receive from those offices once they have had time to review our documentation.
March 11, 2016
The latest volume of support has secured a formal meeting request with the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings. We are now finalizing our testimonies to ensure they have the exact data required to challenge the current variance process.
March 5, 2016
We have reached one hundred signatures which provides enough leverage to request a formal meeting with the Council members overseeing these committees. I am now drafting the formal letter to the Department of Buildings regarding their variance approval process. My next step is to coordinate with the local press to highlight why this legislation remains stalled.
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2016
87 Comments
NY Post: "The city approved 99 percent of all applications for after-hours construction work last year, a cash cow that generated $25.3 million in application fees in the last fiscal year, 20 percent more than the $21.1 million the city took in the year before."
It boggles the mind why demolition work is allowed at night at the foot of 3, 25+ story residential buildings full of families with children. The council should be ashamed that they have not acted to end this or why anyone would allow this type of activity at that hour to be approved in the first place. It defies reason.
I live in Hell's Kitchen, on 52nd street between 10th and 11th ave and I am surrounded by construction which not only has the extended hours construction passes but consistently still works outside those hours as well.
I live at 15 Broad and the construction noise has been keeping my kids and ourselves up at night. It is very disruptive and construction after hours should absolutely not be allowed in areas with residential buildings. I am also a real estate broker and I am extremely shocked and disappointed at the permission to do so.
I live next to the now completed Whitney museum - for 3 years the work went on 7 days a week along with the drilling for the gas pipeline that now runs under the west village. Development is given a free pass (maybe not free?) to take over neighborhoods and it has to stop.
The rubber stamping of after hours variance permits by the Department of Buildings and the associated construction noise at all hours is absolutely unacceptable.
The noise on Greenwich street between Albany and rector has been horrible
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We are calling on the New York City Council to pass legislation to restrict After Hours Variances for construction
Variances are granted (it seems by rubber stamp) by both the Department of Buildings and The Department of Transportation for projects that do not meet the requirements (for work done near schools or public spaces, for heavy construction work that might require sidewalks to be closed to protect pedestrians, or for work that would cause traffic gridlock if it’s done during the day) throughout the city. The Quality of Life impact of these variances is severe, as the noise - sometimes deafening - leads to many sleepless nights. For the sake of the millions of residents of New York City, there needs to be a limitation on After Hours Variances by both agencies.
The Council quickly heard and approved their own 32% raise while this legislation has been tied up in committees for two years without so much as a hearing. It is time for the Council to act for their constituents.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
April 15, 2016
March 30, 2016
I have spent the last few days drafting a formal letter to the Council committee chairs demanding a public hearing on this matter. We are also preparing a briefing package to show how the current variance system fails to protect residents from repeated noise violations. I will provide a summary of the responses we receive from those offices once they have had time to review our documentation.
March 11, 2016
The latest volume of support has secured a formal meeting request with the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings. We are now finalizing our testimonies to ensure they have the exact data required to challenge the current variance process.
March 5, 2016
We have reached one hundred signatures which provides enough leverage to request a formal meeting with the Council members overseeing these committees. I am now drafting the formal letter to the Department of Buildings regarding their variance approval process. My next step is to coordinate with the local press to highlight why this legislation remains stalled.
Reached 100 supporters
March 3, 2016
87 Comments
It's time to acknowledge that the Financial District is not longer just a business district and all the city's efforts to make it residential must be supported. It makes no sense to issue permits for work in the middle of the night given the population here. Please stop this.
NY Post: "The city approved 99 percent of all applications for after-hours construction work last year, a cash cow that generated $25.3 million in application fees in the last fiscal year, 20 percent more than the $21.1 million the city took in the year before."
It boggles the mind why demolition work is allowed at night at the foot of 3, 25+ story residential buildings full of families with children. The council should be ashamed that they have not acted to end this or why anyone would allow this type of activity at that hour to be approved in the first place. It defies reason.
I live in Hell's Kitchen, on 52nd street between 10th and 11th ave and I am surrounded by construction which not only has the extended hours construction passes but consistently still works outside those hours as well.
I live at 15 Broad and the construction noise has been keeping my kids and ourselves up at night. It is very disruptive and construction after hours should absolutely not be allowed in areas with residential buildings. I am also a real estate broker and I am extremely shocked and disappointed at the permission to do so.
I live next to the now completed Whitney museum - for 3 years the work went on 7 days a week along with the drilling for the gas pipeline that now runs under the west village. Development is given a free pass (maybe not free?) to take over neighborhoods and it has to stop.
The rubber stamping of after hours variance permits by the Department of Buildings and the associated construction noise at all hours is absolutely unacceptable.
The noise on Greenwich street between Albany and rector has been horrible
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It's time to acknowledge that the Financial District is not longer just a business district and all the city's efforts to make it residential must be supported. It makes no sense to issue permits for work in the middle of the night given the population here. Please stop this.