Gothamist: BREAKING: Buildings Commissioner Lancaster Resigns Amid Mayor's Unhappiness with Buildings Department

sonyactivision

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:42:38 -0500

All in all, not a bad tenure there..

dcsos

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:59:15 -0500

The owners of each project are the ones responsible for safety and to their insurance companies. Therin lies the whole problem When did builders/owners become the sole arbiters of their sites safety? I've been told that some violations dealt with by having insurance pay rather than to fix- that this is cheaper is amazing!. Do you know how difficult this will be to change?

Jen S

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:04:00 -0500

I say, about time. She's not directly responsible for the accidents, but she should've been more concerned with public safety.

GM

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:50:31 -0500

The DOB is not meant to inspect construction full-time, they're meant to issue permits and see that the contractor follows those permits. The owners of each project are the ones responsible for safety and to their insurance companies. They are only there to check in during major milestones of the work to see that the permits issued are being followed. Blaming the DOB for safety issues in construction is like blaming Ford for highway accidents. Just like Brown and FEMA, I can't figure why you'd put an architect as the head of the DOB. The DOB doesn't design anything. :/

zodak

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:06:05 -0500

Lancaster's judgement is reflected in her choice of skirt. yo, she wearin' tims, son! she aiight, knuh-ah-meen?

CR

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:13:52 -0500

Wait - somone's taking responsibity for their actions?!? THE TERRORISTS REALLY HAVE WON!!!

Tim N.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:13:00 -0500

Wait just a rock-pickin' minute!!! I thought we had rooted out corruption in this city! At least that's what the Mayor (and his predecessor) said. Take a look at the picture at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/nyregion/23lancaster.html?hp and tell me that everything you need to know about Commissioner Lancaster's judgement is reflected in her choice of skirt.

JenChungsBra

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:35:45 -0500

I have a good friend who's a buildings inspector in Brooklyn. He gets offered bribes almost daily. He's seeking permission to carry a gun on the job to fend off all the lowlifes he meets. The city makes him use his own personal car most days and only reimburses him $8 a day despite rising gas prices. He gets paid shit. There's one computer in his main office where one day a week he goes and waits in line to use it so he can write up the violations he issued that week. He's trying, but they don't make it easy. Now here's what those "statements" really should say: Bloomberg: "The DOB is a huge embarrassment that's dragging down my rep. I was almost willing to cut Lancaster some slack because she has made some progress in the last few years, but after that City Council hearing about the crane collapse both Kevin Sheekey and Ed Skyler told me to can her. So what the heck, she was probably too wimpy for the job anyway." Lancaster: "I busted my ass for all these years to reform that piece of shit agency, but you can't get blood from a stone. It's embarrassing to go out like this but frankly I can't wait to get back to the private sector. Working with civil service losers is like herding cats anyway. Thank goodness all my architect contacts know the deal about DOB, so my job prospects aren't totally ruined. Whew, I feel better already."

JacqueMehoff

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:34:26 -0500

More affordable? let's see a homeowner try and get any type of permit without going to some outside party, let alone doing any filing work at the DOB. This is Manhattan, I think the other borough offices are less assholey.

Spiny

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:27:25 -0500

"Patricia led a comprehensive overhaul of the City's byzantine building code, the first in 40 years, which will make the construction of homes, schools, stores and offices in New York City safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly for years to come." Schools? What schools? And by "stores," Mayor Bloomberg, I think you mean "Chase banks and Starbucks locations." Homes? Luxury condos, thrown up overnight. Yep, fantastic job, we're right on track. And of course we're so much SAFER now than before. "Over the past six years, Patricia has moved the Department of Buildings a long way forward by fighting corruption, strengthening inspections and oversight, increasing the public's access to information, and bringing increased levels of professionalism and integrity to all levels of her agency." Excuse me while I double over in cynical laughter. "...I thank her for her dedication to making New York City a far better place to live, work, and visit." And to get killed in a construction accident. Don't let the falling crane hit you on the way out, Patty.

Snoopy

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:32:29 -0500

Is the flunkie mobbed up?

JacqueMehoff

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:20:50 -0500

comm. Lancaster has resigned. now another bloomberg flunkie will be put in to sign off on plans.

zodak

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:46:40 -0500

(and yeah, I didn't have to use all those A's and B's, but whatever..I'm designing process documents today). lol

Ph

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:18:27 -0500

I agree the DOB is horrible, but they're in a bind and can't fully be blamed for some of this shit, dare I say a lot of it. Ok, here's a scenario: Developer A is rolling deep, were talking hundreds of millions of funds to put into a project. Now everyone knows that politicians make a sport out of being friends with people that have pockets this deep (if they aren't already one themselves), so Developer A goes to the office and files for whatever permits are necessary with Clerk A who then passes it on to Director A. Director A, being a good soul, thinks that some of the paperwork is shaky and his/her fears are compounded because Construction firm A and B both have a history of having stuff 'fast tracked' and having many violations that just happened to fall off the radar before any charges could be filed. Director A, being the boy scout, then goes to the commissioner and says "This doesn't smell right" but an hour later the commissioner gets a call from someone in the mayors office saying to 'make it happen'. All of a sudden, director B is brought in to pretty much sign the paper and the project goes ahead. See? (and yeah, I didn't have to use all those A's and B's, but whatever..I'm designing process documents today). Now, I know we all love to attribute everything that happens to lazy underqualified union people, who supposedly have jobs that none of you enlightened would take...but to say these people do what they do in a vacuum is patently retarded on your part. I guarantee that behind every single high rise that's gone up in the last 7 years, something like what I posited above happened at some part of the process from soup to nuts.

JacqueMehoff

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:12:34 -0500

The dept of health can shut a place down but these violations go unenforced.

BigRed

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:02:03 -0500

The Buildings Commissioner is incompetent. She panders to the developers at the expense of the city and its residents who deserve to be protected by regulations against excessive and unsafe construction. Fire her!

jaja007

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:58:17 -0500

DOB workers are all union. Try firing one of them!

eyekantspel

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:56:35 -0500

Bloomberg says "Simply shrugging your shoulders and saying `Well, after all, construction work is a dangerous occupation,' is behavior that will not be tolerated from anyone." Meanwhile, Bloomberg supports ConEd throughout the ridiculously long blackout in Queens and despite the steampipe explosion midtown.

JacqueMehoff

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:52:28 -0500

visit any DOB office and see who goes there. Greasy not only describes the employees.

nivek

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:45:54 -0500

Hot potato!

Reality Czech

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:39:24 -0500

The DOB has the greasiest palms of any agency in this city. A bunch of scumbags more concerned about making money (for themselves and the city) than enforcing the law.

Snoopy

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:37:16 -0500

If he hired her why doesn't he simply fire her? Put your money where your mouth is Bloomberg.