For far too long, the city has taken a laissez-faire approach when it comes to longstanding scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, allowing these structures to proliferate on the West Side and throughout the five boroughs without consequence. These long-term installations darken storefronts, narrow sidewalks and become persistent eyesore in our neighborhoods, creating a host of quality of life issues on certain blocks.

However, these endless bureaucratic delays are hopefully coming to an end – the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) recently announced that it is advancing new rules to strengthen its oversight over existing scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, including more frequent re-inspections every 90 days and penalties for sheds that remain in place beyond 180 days without meaningful progress on required facade repairs. These reforms are intended to ensure that property owners move more quickly to complete those repairs and remove scaffolding in a timelier fashion.

This is why I am launching a West Side scaffolding portal for residents to report longstanding sidewalk sheds and scaffolds. With these new rules in place, it is critical that we advocate for the swift removal of scaffolds while also hastening much-needed structural work. My office will report the locations to the DOB for further review and follow up under the city’s new rules to remove scaffolding expeditiously.

Fill out the questionnaire below and we will get back in touch with you as quickly as possible. You can also flag a location by calling my district office at 212-873-6368 or at rosenthall@nyassembly.gov.