Legislation Fulfills Key Commitments in Mayor Adams’ “Get Sheds Down” Plan
Our Bureau
New York, NY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed several pieces of legislation to address the city’s long-standing scaffolding shed epidemic, giving the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) new tools to remove unnecessary, unsightly scaffolding and create more appealing designs for sheds that are still needed. The legislation establishes new penalties, compelling property owners to complete building repairs in a timely manner and remove sheds more quickly; reduces the duration of sidewalk shed permits; increases the cycle of façade inspection requirements; expands the variety of sidewalk shed colors; improves lighting requirements for sheds; and more. Many of the reforms in this legislative package were first proposed by Mayor Adams in July 2023 when he launched “Get Sheds Down,” the city’s comprehensive initiative to remove long-standing construction sheds on city sidewalks and create more aesthetically-appealing alternatives.
“When our administration came into office, we said the days of letting scaffolding sheds languish on our streets were over. We launched our ‘Get Sheds Down’ initiative, removed hundreds of long-standing sheds, and proposed ambitious legislation to make sure property owners actually finish safety work and take sheds down rather than just leave them up year after year,” said Mayor Adams. “These revitalized rules will help the city remove unsightly scaffolding as well as make sure that sidewalks sheds are more visually appealing when they go up for a limited amount of time. Above all, they will allow us to reclaim valuable space for the public and let the light back onto our sidewalks.”
“When I worked in the Mayor’s Office nearly 20 years ago, everyone was focused on fixing the scourge of sidewalk sheds. At long last, two decades later, the Adams administration and our partners in the City Council have finally done it,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth. “This is a momentous day that will bring sunlight to our city once again, ensure façade work gets done in a timely manner, and keep New Yorkers safe.”
“Ever since the ‘Get Sheds Down’ plan was first introduced, our administration has made significant progress compelling hundreds of building owners to make needed repairs, so they can remove their sidewalk sheds from our neighborhoods,” said DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “Thanks to Mayor Adams and our partners in the City Council, this new legislation puts us on the cusp of a meaningful reduction in long-standing sheds across the city, improvements to the design of pedestrian protection equipment, decongestion of our sidewalks, and the first major reforms to Local Law 11 façade inspection regulations in decades. There is still a lot of game left to play towards fixing the city’s sidewalk shed problem, but these new tools will go a long way in delivering New Yorkers the uncluttered public streetscapes they deserve.”
“It’s rare New Yorkers agree totally on anything, but on long-standing sidewalk sheds, the feelings are unanimous — they’re dank, they’re dark, and they do a great disservice to one of our true shared assets: our public realm,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “The Adams administration is laser focused on improving quality of life for New Yorkers in partnership with the City Council, our city’s BIDs, and many New Yorkers who stood up to say enough. We are doing just that and ‘Getting Sheds Down!’”
“NYCHA is committed to the safety of our residents and ensuring protection of our walkways and grounds as we carry out needed repairs to our buildings,” said New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “This is why we’re intent on keeping the scaffolding we need and removing what we don’t. We’re glad to see a broader reform to the city’s scaffolding regulations that will do away with unnecessary shedding and diversify design options, while opening up space on our properties with a reduction of unnecessary shedding that improves lighting and safety for New Yorkers, including the one in 17 who call NYCHA home.”
Intro. 393-A — sponsored by New York City Councilmember Keith Powers — reduces the duration of a sidewalk shed permit from one year to three months and strengthens oversight of sidewalk shed permit renewals, requiring property owners to regularly update DOB on the remaining repairs needed to remove sidewalk sheds. This bill also creates new penalties for property owners who fail to conduct timely façade repairs on sheds in a public right of way.
