Tuesday, November 11, 2014

That "After Hours Construction" Noise Bill


...is, of course, languishing with the City Council.

http://chelseanow.com/2014/11/after-hours-construction-still-rattling-residents/

Some money quotes:

"In an interview with Chelsea Now, Mendez said that the bill is undergoing revisions, though she did not name specifics. 'Organized labor expressed concerns that limiting AHVs would affect members work opportunities,' she said."

"Officials from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) said the proposed restrictions are too broad." [Our disgraced former landlord, Rob Speyer, is chairman of the REBNY, btw.]

And what did I notice this Sunday when looking through a gap in the wooden high-fence barrier at the new Management Office construction site?  A guy working with a grout gun!  No work permit needed, it seems.

Of course, we already have noise codes, but, as you will read in the article, the DOB (Department of Buildings) hands out After-Hours Variances very freely. So the necessity for "new legislation," which, if passed, will probably be so diluted that it may well be like the old legislation. So the game continues....

54 comments:

Tommyboyardee said...

I'm still waiting on that it's illegal to drive motorized bikes on the sidewalk, where we at with that one Danny?

Anonymous said...

Who weighed in on the DOB commissioner choice?
REBNY

"We commend the mayor for selecting Rick Chandler, a person who has true hands-on experience and a wonderful reputation for identifying problems, solving them, and protecting the public interest,” said Steven Spinola, the president of the Real Estate Board of New York, in a prepared statement."

http://commercialobserver.com/2014/07/mayor-taps-rick-chandler-as-dob-commish/

Who did NOT weigh in on the commissioner choice?
Resident New Yorkers living in NYC buildings.

Residents are better to identify problems with buildings and what is public interest.
REBNY is only concerned with themselves and inconveniences (or as they call it "pain") to their businesses / profit.

The only pain being inflicted is by REBNY onto communities, neighborhoods, parks as enabled by DOB.

A joke

According to their website, they advertise themselves as:

DOB Mission & Vision

The New York City Buildings Department is committed to becoming a premier municipal building organization, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all New Yorkers and making our city safer.

We are committed to improving our performance and developing procedures that are streamlined, understandable and transparent."

Seriously they say they are about enhancing quality of life for all New Yorkers - yes by dorm-ifying 4500 apartments in our middle class community to inflate prices in a scheme to evict New Yorkers from their homes for greed and profit of all involved in the PCVST sale. Ask anyone at DOB about the dorms and the first thing they will say is "are you interested in buying your apartment?" - because if you are then you must be ok with the DOB constructing dorms to push through inflated renovation work to get the buildings at a level of market rate that is appealing to the banks to give mortgages (mortgages that will be a good deal for the banks, not for the New Yorker residents).

This scheme is disgusting.



Anonymous said...

Why does REBNY get what they want?

Because the demand it. They move deadlines, delay safety standards, call the shots, make the laws, write the rules. They do NOT let anyone tell them what the law says and if they don;t like a law they change it. If they want a new MCI the demand new MCI's for exteriors of buildings. If they want a delay on new safety standards post Hurricane Sandy they get it.

Tenants, Residents need to demand laws of protection, write letters to commissioners and not just be relegated to things like the DOB challenge procedures and process and TA DOB forums that are designed to forcibly put an end to the resident or community complaining.

http://aiany.aiany.org/corecode/uploads/document/uploaded_pdfs/corecode_aianyaia/NYCCC%20Effective%20Date%20Letter%20To%20Commissioner%20Chandler_256.pdf

Letter to DOB Commissioner including cc list of those holding public office that are acting on behalf of developers rather than constituents and communities.

We need to get our voices heard on the record. Write letters. To commissioners and the cc listed. We are just as important as Brown, Hill, Colletti, Milstein, Anderson, Spinola. They are just people too, but they are demanding what they want and we are not demanding enough.

Who cares if they ignore the letters. Have your say. Write them. Get it on record. They are failing the people of NYC.

Anonymous said...

And when our politicians show wisdom and policies that are good for the people we should send them letters of praise and appreciation (like curbing the welfare for entities as Chase who threaten to hurt people by taking away their jobs if the city doesn't give them $1billion to stay in NYC (Jamie Dimon's Austin Powers imitation), integrating neighborhoods, and insisting on affordable housing.

http://www.queensbronxba.com/images/QBBA_Newsletter_Summer_2014-web.pdf

Anonymous said...

The game continues because our scumbag landlord is given tacit permission by our opportunistic so-called "elected representatives."

Anonymous said...

STR thank you for covering this.

The DOB is out of control or I should say completely controlled by REBNY.

The First Ave Loop residents were disgustingly treated with several days without water, several days without electricity, collectively months of after hours work, weekend work, 6:00 am through 9:00pm early mornings and late evenings of loud construction work, weeks of jackhammering all day and into the evenings where the lower apartments shook and vibrated so hard it was unbearable, on top of losing every tall tree, medium dogwoods, and smaller trees and the entire peaceful quiet open space from 16th to 18th street. It is now a noisy high traffic, congested and cramped space of 1 walkway where there once was two walkways with center trees dividing all now gone. They think residents are so stupid to believe their blaming Hurricane Sandy for the new office when it was planned long before the hurricane hit and to use that which caused real damage and suffering to so many as their reason for their long before planned office building is of low character. And yes, the Steinberg/Marsh association that calls themselves a "Tenant Association", knew of the plans for the office building all along and agreed to stop the tenants who were trying to protest and save the open space, trees, and quality of life.
Someone should take note of who signed off on the permits especially the After Hours and make certain PCVST does NOT support them with votes ever again. Just awful these self serving greedy REBNY rubber stampers.

Anonymous said...

It needs to be asked just how deeply involved is city government and city agencies as DOB involved, from beginning to end, in creating the conditions that led to the frauds against PCVST.

Hippo said...

You want noise? I'll give you REAL noise. Wait until they start giving heat in this dump. The clanging of the pipes at 6:00AM in the morning is enough to wake the dead. "Water knock" is a simple problem which can be solved by draining the accumulated water in the heating system. But the clods who run this place can't seem to get their act together. Let the early morning symphony begin. I can't hardly wait!

Anonymous said...

More likely the Noise Bill will languish in committee, just like the the Small Business Jobs Survival Act has languished in committee since it was first introduced by Councilmember Ruth Messinger in 1986. The SBJSA would give small business owners rights more or less equal to landlords when negotiating lease-renewal terms. It was introduced yet again this past June by Bronx Councilmember Annabel Palma. Let's see what happens to it post- Bloomberg/Quinn.

Anonymous said...

WRITE TO DHCR. COMPLAIN PEOPLE. FILL OUT THE FORMS. nothing will change if we don't. ALL OF US.

Anonymous said...

Handsome Dan rode off into the sunset on his motorized bike.

Anonymous said...

Worth repeating



WRITE TO DHCR.
COMPLAIN PEOPLE.
FILL OUT THE FORMS.
nothing will change if we don't. ALL OF US.

It really will change if we do this.

Anonymous said...

Agree with the above comments.

The PCVST TA is not doing its job, filing complaints on construction issues, noise issues, toxic contaminate issues, surprising post-leasing signing fees, mci application issues, renovation charges issues, and so on.

Until we get a better and real Tenant Association with Tenants needs and concerns top priority (not this Buyer Association) it is up to each of us to individually protect our homes and our wallets. Even the smallest of overcharges adds up and exponentially increases when annual percentage rent increase is applied.

No more nickel and diming and no more losses of affordable housing!

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I agree. The TA is just about worthless these days and only good as an antiquated symbol of what could be.

Anonymous said...

"Until we get a better and real Tenant Association with Tenants needs and concerns top priority (not this Buyer Association) it is up to each of us to individually protect our homes and our wallets."

TA is not buying anything.

ST-PCV tenants defrauded out of $3 Billion Fannie/Freddie funding by Garodnick and the TA are buying ST-PCV for Brookfield.

After defrauded ST-PCV tenants buy ST-PCV for Brookfield, 15% of them paying MR will be defrauded again. Caught up in a coercive financial squeeze strategically planned and executed by the Garodnick-TA-Brookfield partnership, they will be coerced into buying an expensive Brookfield condo they already paid for and should already own.

In effect, the twice defrauded 15% will be forced to buy back from Brookfield the same apartment they already bought for Brookfield.

ST-PCV tenants will not get a better and real TA. Tenants wanting to know TA priorities should follow the money - $3 billion Senator Schumer delivered exclusively to ST-PCV tenants that Garodnick and the TA are diverting exclusively to Brookfield. Individually protecting our homes and wallets may successfully protect some individuals. Collectively, we are all being defrauded out of our homes and wallets.

Anonymous said...

Ideally we would have an honest Tenant Association working for tenants pushing a tenant's agenda, that by virtue of being PCVST also happens to be the largest community's TA and by all accounts should be a powerful force if it truly were independent of influence from politician agenda's.

If we were operating with a real TA in full force - as a community, residents would be educated and empowered to file complaints with DHCR, DOB, DEC, NYAG, etc and the TA would further push the resident agenda with the powers that be at those city agencies and services. With both the residents and the TA addressing issues in complimentary ways to maximize the impact. We could have had a TA that was as vocal a force as a REBNY.
Instead we have a TA that is doing everything to quiet our , our needs

Anonymous said...

Oh boy..

The contenders who are in the running for taking over - authoring the city and state laws - when Spinola retires..


http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20141111/REAL_ESTATE/141119972/con-ed-lobbyist-eyed-to-lead-rebny

Anonymous said...

A TA should assert influence on behalf of tenants. Assert influence on city agencies, city councils, and politicians who are supposed to be serving the people in the first place. Asserting the tenants wants and needs onto the policy and law makers.

Instead of influencing the city council, this TA is influenced by the city council and asserts the politicians wants onto the residents here.

Not good.

Anonymous said...

I see some very, very strong allegations/accusations against the TA and Goradnick. Can these be backed up? Better be sure you have all your facts because there are libel laws, you know!

For the record, I am not a member of the TA, am a long time tenant and wouldn't buy my apartment unless they were practically giving it away because the infrastructure in this place is totally shot!

Anonymous said...

10:54 AM
Thank you for sharing and bringing awareness to that honest summary of what went down. That $3billion should have gone to tenants if it were a real tenant led bid and we should have a Penn-south like co-op.
Brookfield is worse than Fortress who is worse than Tishman..and really did any imagine it could get any lower than Tishman?

Anonymous said...

Did someone say POSTCARDS????

It's time to stop AGONIZING and start ORGANIZING!

Anonymous said...

Sad those beautiful trees are gone forever between 16th and 18th where they built their office building. Building looks huge.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>I see some very, very strong allegations/accusations against the TA and Goradnick. Can these be backed up?<<

I want to know about that 3 billion that Schumer "delivered exclusively to ST-PCV tenants." What 3 billion?

Anonymous said...

Maybe Schumer and the AG should be contacted to see if the can find out what Goradnick and the TA did with the $3billion.

Anonymous said...

Danny boy is a MR tenant, yet the MR tenants are the ones getting royally screwed here. Ironic.

Anonymous said...

Another round of apartment inspections. They are taking inventory of the appliances so they can buy materials for the renovations in bulk on the cheap and then inflate the charges like 5X to remove the stock of RS affordable housing in pcvst to make the quota for banks to give mortgages.

Another way the banks and RE are colluding to remove affordable housing. After their success here watch this rollout nationwide with all the Blackstone rentals converting and other hedge fund and RE who have been hoarding rental properties.

NYC Gov't failed NY'ers and will fail the entire country if they let this scheme continue one more day.

So anyone wanting to make a purchase of the property is not likely to report the overcharging on the renovation work on tenants behalf - tenants will have to do that for themselves.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Maybe Schumer and the AG should be contacted to see if the can find out what Goradnick and the TA did with the $3billion.<<

Again, what $3 billion?

Anonymous said...

"Again, what $3 billion?"

Ask 10:54 AM Nov 13.

He/she came up with the idea that the TA is defrauding tenants out of $3b that Chuckie delivered from Fannie/Freddie for tenants. He/she thinks the TA and Goradnick is diverting the money to Brookfield.


Anonymous said...

Everyone beware an Ebola patient was treated at nearby Bellevue Hospital. Dangerous chemicals were found buried in the dirt. Global warming means more hurricanes and we live in an evacuation zone. Why would anyone ever want to buy this diseased, toxic, flood prone dump?

CWC will never sell to the TA. People should stop dreaming about owning a condo here. STR should stop posting comments about it. It will never happen. I just know it. Never, never, never.

I'll never buy! I'll never leave! They can pay me tons of money to live someplace else or wait until I'm carried out feet first.

I am not a fan of Dan or the TA.

Anonymous said...

9 13 . Filled out paperwork for overcharges on our MR apartment over 3 months ago. The file is there, and it sits. Nothing being done, dhcr has no comment. lmao flipping joke this is.

Has anyone else heard back after filing overcharge reports on MR or any ? Thankyou

Anonymous said...

OK... a different noise story. The only reason I appreciated the ridiculous skating rink was because it would shut up the weekend tiny tot soccer coach shouting and woo-wooing every time a 4 year old kicked the ball. But now I have a shrieking skating instructor down there and her voice is like a knife shouting in my 12th floor apartment. Really!?!? SO I'll listen to her shouting for 4 months a year, and the other guy shouting for 7 months a year, and the silent month will be while they're constructing the rink? This management continues to be clueless in every endeavor. NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE AT THE CARNIVAL! Stop all this nonsense because you are lowering the value of the property and making 99% of the residents MISERABLE. And stop those 2 sports instructors from screaming at the kids and shouting in my 12th floor apartment.

Anonymous said...

9:13 am . ? please be specific. In english. wdym????

Anonymous said...

why did pcvst give thousands to mayor office in june 2014 - anyone know what went down in june?

http://www.nyc.gov/lobbyistsearch/search;jsessionid=THyMwVC87vz1lZLk7j1r60lynSGMRQrryTjxnpQntnDTjTT6Q088!-1498094642?client=Fortis+Property+Group%2C+LLC&op=&pg_c=195

Anonymous said...

ha$1 Vendor PCVST contract

https://docs.opstechnology.com/docserver/data/_repository/opsx/20140611/updated__pcvst_vendor_agreement_for_cdnew_ownership_61014.jxx7s44lhl6d.pdf

Anonymous said...

ST Owner LP operated here evicting the community in the masses since 2006, its inception. Anyone know who the people comprising ST Owner are?

And who are the people who comrpise PCVST DIL LLC?

PDF]September 8, 2014 - NYC.gov
www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/.../pdf/.../cityrecord-09-08-14.pd...
New York City
Sep 8, 2014 - Meets in Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007, twice ...... ST-DIL LLC and PCVST - DIL LLC to continue to maintain and use.
[PDF]September 23, 2014 - NYC.gov
www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/.../pdf/.../cityrecord-09-23-14.pd...
New York City
Sep 23, 2014 - on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10:30 A.M., 22 Reade Street, ...... ST-DIL LLC and PCVST - DIL LLC to continue to maintain and use.
[PDF]September 18, 2014 - NYC.gov
www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/.../pdf/.../cityrecord-09-18-14.pd...
New York City
Sep 18, 2014 - to continue development under the prior R3-2 zoning district. PREMISES .... ST-DIL LLC and PCVST - DIL LLC to continue to maintain and use.
[PDF]September 15, 2014 - NYC.gov
www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/.../pdf/.../cityrecord-09-15-14.pd...
New York City
Sep 15, 2014 - Meets in Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007, twice ...... ST-DIL LLC and PCVST - DIL LLC to continue to maintain and use.

Anonymous said...

Former Dermot Company David Sorise and former Dermot Company Andrew Macarthur both with currently called "Compass Rock"

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/37/30_37faceoff.html

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2008/08/05/ft-greene-tenants-protest-gas-shutoff/

Same players Same Game and no one stopping them for years. How many people have they done this too?

Tommyboyardee said...

Didn't Noise Bill release an album in the 80's? I believe his street name is Billy DeBlasio, I can't drive over 25!

Anonymous said...

Blackstone win in CW Capital sale Stuy Town shows strength in mortgages

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-05/blackstone-win-in-cwcapital-sale-shows-cmbs-strength-mortgages.html

Blackstone win?
Same Blackstone / Tishman deal that screwed PCVST is now winning.
Of course.

We need people who put the people first to occupy political offices if the middle class is ever to protect and secure the safety of our homes. Until then we suffer at the hands of those using political office to make private business deals instead of public policies protecting people.

Anonymous said...

NYU Langone is scared of tenant backlash and wants to avoid a lawsuit by any means. That is why they are distancing themselves from the dormification of PCVST despite being the biggest dormholder.

Anonymous said...

From an exclusive community that had a wait list to get in

TO

a commodity showing desperation needing brokers to do marketing tricks to "drive traffic"

http://adamashkenas.com/2014/06/02/manhattan-apartment-citi-habitats-named-exclusive-broker-for-peter-cooper-village-and-stuyvesant-town/

Anonymous said...

Citihabitats on Facebook marketing our apartments and condos - yes that number is 5000

Amedeo Pelin, Citi Habitats
May 28
Proud to be part of the Citi Habitats team of this great project!!
Peter Cooper Village / Stuyvesant Town - New York City
Peter Cooper Village / Stuyvesant Town offers spacious apartment rentals in the heart of New York City! All-Day Open Houses, CALL US TODAY at (866)450-9361
Apartment & Condo Building: 4,822 like this


https://www.facebook.com/AmedeoPelinCitihabitats

Anonymous said...

5000 people like PCVST Apartments and Condos

https://www.facebook.com/PCVST

Guess we are condos already.....

https://www.facebook.com/PCVST

Anonymous said...

5000 people know and like our Condos and apartments - where can we go to see the Condos?

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>why did pcvst give thousands to mayor office in june 2014 - anyone know what went down in june?<<

Interesting....

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Excellent work on all those links!

Anonymous said...

We cannot wait to see what they tell us when they want to tell us their spin.....

TIME FOR TOTAL TRANSPARENCY

WITH OUR EYES OPEN

AND VOICES LOUD

Anonymous said...

Amen neighbor. You speak truth about skate rink noise.

Anonymous said...

Danny boy is a MR tenant, yet the MR tenants are the ones getting royally screwed here. Ironic.

November 14, 2014 at 6:45 AM


He also has a multi-million dollar stock portfolio. He is a multi-millionaire who either does not understand or does not care to understand what is needed for the middle class to survive let alone live in peace after a hard days work.

Anonymous said...

how they are wreaking havoc across nyc communities ....

The way it appears to us, this is politics at its very worst. Using raw power to get one’s way is the mark of a tyrant, not what some who started this country ever wanted. It reminds us of Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, Dick Cheney, Chris Christie and Rick Perry.

It is hard for us to believe that despite the damning insinuations of the NY Time’s reporting of the Moreland Commission, and the outcome of the LICH debacle, all out there in the public press, these things can still happen – especially in what our Mayor calls the home of a new progressivism.

But of course, this is how our governor, who still maintains presidential ambitions, rolls.

http://www.star-revue.com/editorial-governor-rolls/

Anonymous said...

Bus trips and photo op rallies are unproductive and an embarrassment of a bad joke as paid off politicians are making laws and loopholes for REBNY. 2015 has already been predetermined. We have a choice. Keep doing the same things that have not produced results.
They are playing hard ball.
We need to stop playing soft ball.

Anonymous said...

10 19 am . Management does this on purpose. How do you not know this? They're trying to drive you out of your $2000 per month 2 br apartment so they can get $4600 for it.

Anonymous said...

Noise pollution and strip mall that killed and replaced the peace and quiet Tree Park is courtesy of CetraRuddy

http://www.architecturenewsplus.com/projects/1930

Anonymous said...

Call 311 and report the companies doing business that are making the noise pollution at the circus tent at playground 11. Include the name of the company when you report it. Those companies like Dribbl know better than to partake in this noise pollution to force people out of home. Same especially on all those who knew of this long ago and know of many more developments planned and are keeping it secret from residents. Anyone with half a brain would predict the noise level from these activities at the tent playground would be deafening, destructive, and unnerving. Shame Shame Shame on the same list of people doing many of the thing in greedy pursuit of purchasing. Winter sports idiocy.

Anonymous said...

Quoting you

http://stuytownreport.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-vote-of-no-confidence-for-garodnick.html