New or substantially rehabilitated City buildings and private construction with more than 50 percent City funding will have to meet LEED or similar energy conservation standards under legislation signed by the Mayor this week.
The Mayor also signed a bill barring discrimination in housing against victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence or stalking.
As we reported Tuesday, the Mayor appointed Kathleen Roberts, a professional arbitrator from Brooklyn, as chair of the Rent Guidelines Board and Mary Serafy, Director of Design for BRP Development as an “owner representative.” BRP is an affordable housing developer currently building the Crossings at Jamaica Station with City Housing Development Corporation financing. The Rent Guidelines Board will begin informational meetings next week but hasn’t scheduled its public hearings or final vote yet.
The Buildings Department is Number 1… The worst City agency according to a red tape commission created by Comptroller Scott Stringer. City Planning wasn’t far behind.The commission recommended clear timelines for permit processing.
CHIP is challenging proposed Con Edison rate increases, but Con Edison shares one problem with property owners–unfair taxes. The utility issued a report this week noting that a big chunk of the $1.2 billion it pays New York City in property taxes is for the value of equipment that other businesses don’t have to pay and underground pipes and wires that other states do not tax. Those inequities, in turn, get passed along to us ratepayers.
The Public Advocate and the New York City Housing Authority have agreed in a court settlement that NYCHA should follow the law in providing heat at night. NYCHA was ignoring the requirement to provide heat when outside temperatures dropped below 40 degrees, waiting until it was 20 or 25 outside.
The City Council held a hearing yesterday on a proposal to renew the J-51 tax break. Despite the expiration of the law last June, HPD and DOF reported that there are 900 applications pending. The bill was laid over in committee.
ABO and CHIP are again offering Registered in Apartment Management classes in cooperation with Reedc. The next classes begin in April and satisfy the biennial broker continuing education requirements.
This week’s BuildingsNY exhibitor focus is on Asbestway Abatement Corporation. Meet them at the Javits Center May 24-25th.