NYC should crack down on unsightly construction sheds cramming sidewalks, says Manhattan BP Mark Levine

New York City needs to take down sidewalk sheds that block paths and mar views all over the five boroughs, says Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, noting hundreds of them have been creating eyesores and potential safety hazards for years.

More than 230 of the structures, which are designed to protect pedestrians from debris at construction sites, have been in the same place for more than five years, according to a new analysis of Department of Buildings (DOB) data by the borough president’s office.

“I hear so many complaints about it from every neighborhood, everywhere on the ideological spectrum,” Levine said of the shed issue.

“There are just so many ways it impacts life here,” he told the Daily News. “It’s aesthetic. It’s public safety. It really is a problem that’s begging for a solution.”

For construction of buildings more than 40 feet high, demolition of buildings over 25 feet high and “when danger necessitates this type of protection,” sheds must go up, under city law.

But once they’re built, many owners have trouble getting materials or keeping up with bills, leaving the annoying structures in place for months or even years.

Buildings with scaffolding — the subject of frequent complaints — often have sheds, though many times the sheds are set up without accompanying scaffolding.

Levine called for low-interest loans to help get repairs done quickly. He said Albany could pass legislation setting up the program, with an estimated price tag in the millions.

“Some of the longest-standing sheds are at buildings that are in financial distress, and they … just don’t have the money to do the facade work,” he said. “Offering low-interest loans would allow the work to be done.”

There are more than 9,000 sidewalk sheds in the city, 4,100 of them in Manhattan alone, according to Buildings Department. They stay up 497 days on average.

Many of the sheds are outside buildings in historic districts that require especially lengthy processes for repairs, the borough president noted.

“They generally lead to dark sidewalks,” Levine said. “They’re often seen as a source of public safety problems because they could be a place for people selling drugs to congregate.”

The city isn’t exactly setting a good example, either — on municipal property, sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of 359 days, the beep said.

“It’s outrageous,” he remarked. “We want accountability from the city. The city should be setting the standard for doing this quickly.”

A task force should be created to probe why the city is so bad with its sidewalk sheds, said Levine, a Democrat.

For private buildings, if low-interest loans don’t do the trick, the Buildings Department should increase fines, said Levine.

“We would leave it up to DOB to determine, but we want a little more enforcement here,” he said of higher penalties.

In extreme cases, the department should go in and do repair work itself, then put a lien on the building, Levine said.

Many of the sheds go up when facade inspections are underway — a process required every five years at taller buildings.

Levine called on the City Council to pass a bill that would allow drones to do the work, removing the need for scaffolding and sheds.

“Unsightly sidewalk sheds and scaffolding are an unfortunate part of New York City streets, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” said the bill’s sponsor, Councilman Keith Powers (D-Manhattan). “This report and our legislative package in the Council contains practical solutions to cut down on excessive red tape and update antiquated laws.”