Administrative Decisions

Facade NOV dismissed

246 East 46th Street. Photo:Melanie Cash.

Building owner inspected facade after allotted time. Beginning in 1980, owners of buildings taller than six stories were required to conduct a critical examination of their buildings’ facade every five years. Each five-year cycle required submission of a technical report following examination. In February 1999, the Department of Buildings accepted the last of the fourth round technical reports. Building owner J.T. Tai Co., Inc. conducted a facade examination in … <Read More>

Demolition NOV dismissed

Board reverses ALJ, finds that lot was vacant when owner purchased property. 1115 Ocean Parkway LLC purchased a vacant lot in the Midwood section of Brooklyn and constructed a five-story building. An officer issued a Notice of Violation after he observed that a building had been demolished without a permit prior to the new construction. At a hearing, the owner claimed that the lot was vacant when it purchased the property, and submitted a recorded … <Read More>

Three entities fined for demolition of exterior wall

Removal of exterior wall required prior registration with DEP. 116 Third Place LLC hired a general contractor to manage demolition at 116 Third Place in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. The general contractor hired a subcontractor, who demolished an entire exterior wall of a building. An officer discovered that the subcontractor demolished the wall without first registering with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and issued Notices of Violation to all three … <Read More>

Plaza violation upheld

Four-foot tall iron fence blocked access to public plaza. After the Dept. of City Planning received complaints about an obstruction to a public plaza, a Buildings inspector was sent to the site at 733 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The inspector observed a four-foot tall iron fence surrounding the entire plaza and separating the public sidewalk from the garden area and the plaza’s walkways. The inspector issued a violation to the owner, charging it with failing … <Read More>

Architect fined $750

Former DOB plan examiner contacted DOB on behalf of employer about a problem with its e-filing system. John Tsarsis had been employed by the Department of Buildings as a plan examiner for six years. In 2007, Tsarsis worked for a short period with Ismael Leyva Architects, but then began working as a senior projects and code and zoning manager for Milrose Consultants. Less than a year after leaving Buildings, Tsarsis contacted the Department on behalf … <Read More>

Waiver granted to Doctoroff on City projects

Former Deputy Mayor holds new position at Bloomberg LP. On January 11, 2008, Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff left City Hall to become President of Bloomberg LP, which has a landlord-tenant relationship with Vornado Realty. On January 14th, First Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris sought a waiver from the Conflicts of Interest Board that would allow Doctoroff to continue to serve the City as an unpaid adviser for PlaNYC 2030, Moynihan Station, Queens West, and as … <Read More>