Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council are continuing to pursue their goal to “Get Sheds Down.” The Get Sheds Down initiative was originally announced in July 2023 to overhaul the sections of the New York City Administrative Code that govern façade inspections and sidewalk sheds.
As part of the initiative, New York City has amended the requirements of the Local Law 11 Façade Inspection and Safety Program, which had required the inspection of the exterior walls of buildings taller than six stories every five years. Local Law 11’s goal is to ensure that buildings throughout the City have facades that are structurally sound. Approximately 12,500 buildings are subject to Local Law 11. As part of legislation that Mayor Adams recently signed (Intro. 394-A), the inspections will occur every six to twelve years, which will be informed by an ongoing study launched by the Department of Buildings (DOB).
When Get Sheds Down was announced, it was estimated that 400 miles or roughly three percent of the City’s sidewalks were encumbered by sidewalk sheds. In an effort to address how many sidewalk sheds may be installed at any given time, the City has reduced the duration of a sidewalk shed permit from one year to three months. The amendment (Intro. 393-A) also imposes penalties against building owners who fail to conduct timely façade repairs on sheds in a public right of way.
As part of the Get Sheds Down initiative, Mayor Adams also sought to address the design of sidewalk sheds. Intro. 391-A requires the DOB to promulgate new rules that allow for containment netting systems as an alternative to sidewalk sheds. Before Intro. 391-A was signed into law, sidewalk sheds could only be one color – hunter green. Intro. 391-A, however, allows for sidewalk sheds that are metallic gray, white or a color matching the building. Sidewalk sheds must also now be built to a minimum height of twelve feet, thus permitting more sunlight to reach the sidewalk.
In addition to the added sunlight, Intro. 660-A, which was also signed into law, requires brighter lighting to be installed underneath sidewalk sheds. Intro. 661-A empowers the DOB to issue penalties to buildings over six stories that fail to meet specific façade repair milestones.
While the impact of these amendments remains to be seen, building owners can look forward to less frequent façade inspections. As a result, the need for access agreements with neighbors, which can often be costly, may be mitigated. We will hopefully benefit from the expanded design options for sidewalk sheds, resulting in more aesthetically pleasing protections. As New York City’s Get Sheds Down initiative progresses forward, all New Yorkers may look forward to sidewalks that are easier to navigate.
