Bayside Pol Gives DOB More Power To Shut Down Work Sites

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A law proposed by a Bayside councilman will now let the Department of Buildings order construction work to immediately stop after it revokes permits.

Councilmember Paul Vallone introduced the bill in April 2018 to close a loophole that allowed work to briefly continue after the buildings department notifies a property owner that it was revoking permits for a zoning or permit violation. It passed this month.

Previously, owners had 15 business days to respond before construction was forced to stop. Vallone's bill allows the buildings department to now stop the construction work immediately.

“Too often, a notice to revoke has really been little more than a notice to finish your work as soon as possible before the DOB can act," Vallone said in a statement.

"What good is a notice to revoke if it has no teeth? Valid concerns and clear evidence should be more than enough to warrant a stop work order, especially when a property owner or contractor has a history of violations."

“I’m proud to pass this bill which finally gives the DOB the tools they need to combat reckless developers and the blatant disregard of construction permit requirements," he added.

The bill was also sponsored by Council Members Bob Holden, who represents Maspeth and Woodside, and Ben Kallos, who represents Manhattan's Upper East Side.

“Thanks to Councilmember Vallone's bill, the Department of Buildings has applied a brake to developers who rush construction after a notice to revoke,” Kevin Morris, president of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association, said. “When the pell-mell densification of the outer boroughs is mitigated, thousands of homeowners — and the entire city — will benefit.”

The bill takes effect 180 days after becoming law.