Thursday, June 12, 2008, Noon
NY City Hall

Queens Civic Congress, Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, Historic Districts Council and other concerned community organizations throughout the City of New York invite you to join "concerned citizens" who seek not only to reform the NYC Department of Building but to include community input and consultation in that essential process. We convene, Thursday, June 12, 12:00 noon on the steps of City Hall to focus the Mayor and City Council on the need incorporate community concerns in construction safety and apply the same vigor to the building issues that plague neighborhoods throughout the city. No reason exists to perpetuate illegal and unsafe development ANYWHERE in our town.

City Hall acted fast after the most recent crane disaster, including a closed-door meeting with construction industry insiders. The result: a watered-down version of proposals from 2007 and 2008 embodied in legislation by Assembly Member James Brennan. This demonstrates the need for our City Fathers to work with those from our neighborhoods - the community groups who have been following DOB reform for years. The most pressing reforms include:

• Reinspect hazardous Stop Work Order sites. DOB fails to re-inspect a construction sites after every hazardous violation and fails to verify compliance. Some offenders simply pay a fine,
• End Self-Certification (aka. "Professional Certification"). The crane disasters represent bigger problems with oversight of the construction industry. City Hall needs to stand for safety all around New York, not just at high rise crane sites.
• Work with the community. City Hall needs to harness the expertise of community groups.

These crane crashes and allegations of corruption make clear: Accountability must rule. We may face fewer or less tall cranes but our nabes still face builders, developers and owners who either flout, ignore or just do not know the rules. If the industry does not get it right and DOB can stop the cranes, why the inability to stop these unscrupulous builders who tear down sound homes, abuse self-certification in a zeal for dollars beyond the pale of reason? Please RSVP Corey Bearak at (718) 343-6779 or Bearak (at) aol.com, Raul Rothblatt at (718) 857-3150 or Simeon Bankoff at (212) 614-9107.