Weprin proposes end to self-certification

Self-certification on building permits is a dangerous and flawed process according to Councilmember David Weprin. Pointing to piles of debris gathered on either side of the house at 196-05 Como Avenue in Holliswood, on Friday, January 26, Weprin said, “This is as clean as it’s been … any child can walk in there.”
At present, the Department of Buildings (DOB) relies on homeowners, builders and architects to certify that their construction projects comply with zoning and building codes. This system has led many elected officials to be swamped with complaints about violations to the building code, shoddy building practices, and unsafe construction sites.
To combat the problem, Weprin, chair of the Council Finance Committee, has devised a two-part plan to eliminate self-certification. He is proposing a bill removing the loophole in the building permit process that allows developers to claim a demolition is an alteration by retaining as little as one wall. Alterations are eligible for the much-less-stringent Type 1 Alteration Permit, rather than a Demolition Permit.
Next, he is pushing for a bill which eliminates the self-certification of plans submitted to the DOB regarding demolitions and certain alterations. His proposals drew strong criticism from Mayor Bloomberg who was reported to have said that abolishing the practice of self-certification could hinder economic development in the city.
Countering this Weprin said that his bill only applied to one-, two- and three-family residential buildings and should therefore have a limited impact on the economy. Senator Frank Padavan went further saying that the proposed changes would prevent inadvertent and premeditated mistakes, which in the end would be a boon for economic development. “Unfortunately there’s a small percentage of architects who aren’t ethical and stretch every rule and exploit every loophole,” he said.
Currently the DOB only audits 20 percent of applications and recognizes that there is abuse in the system. According to Kate Lindquist, DOB spokesperson, the DOB has launched a pilot program to pre-screen professionally certified plans. This program requires considerably fewer resources than Weprin’s would.
The DOB, in line with Bloomberg, supports the bills introduced by Councilmember James Vacca which would revoke the licenses of building professionals who repeatedly violate the codes. This bill would also require fewer DOB staff to implement.
Weprin has strong support for the changes from community leaders, many of whom attended his press conference. “I find it absolutely unbearable that the DOB has lost control of the honor system,” said Jerry Iannece, chair of Community Board 11, adding that he believed the self-certification process had been designed to expedite the permit process for minor repairs. “It [self certification] was never intended to deal with complete demolition projects,” Iannece said.
Councilmember James Gennaro encouraged local civic organizations to band together in support of the new bill “to eliminate this kind of self-certification.”
Meanwhile Padavan met with the Department of City Planning Commission chair, Amanda Burden on Friday, January 26 to discuss a series of zoning issues. He described the talks as very positive and said that the DOB has now agreed there are problems that need to be addressed.