De Blasio signs legislation expediting Build it Back construction work

November 3, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

This beachfront house was completely destroyed in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 in Coney Island's Sea Gate community. On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation that will expedite approval of demolition and construction work performed by city-procured contractors under the Build it Back program, which aims to rebuild communities and homes devastated by the storm. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

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Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday signed legislation that will expedite approval of demolition and construction work performed by city-procured contractors under the Build it Back program.

“We are pushing every day to accelerate construction, cut red tape and get people back in their homes. I want to thank Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for her leadership, the bill’s sponsor, Councilmember Mark Treyger and the rest of the City Council for passing this essential bill,” said de Blasio.

“It’s been 4 years since Hurricane Sandy made landfall and devastated communities across New York City,” said Mark-Viverito. “We will never forget the lives lost to the hurricane, or how New Yorkers came together in the days and weeks that followed. Many neighborhoods are still working to rebuild, and we at the City Council affirm our commitment to aiding that process inasmuch as we are able.

“Today’s bill signing will give these homeowners a pathway to immediately start the repairs and elevation they need. I want to thank Councilmember Mark Treyger for quickly ushering this critical piece of legislation,” Mark-Viverito said.

“Four long years after Hurricane Sandy, many New Yorkers are still waiting to be able to return home. We cannot allow red tape or sluggish bureaucracy to continue to delay the full recovery of the families enrolled in the Build it Back program,” said Treyger. “I am proud to have sponsored this long-overdue legislation in partnership with the mayor, and prouder still to see it signed into law. This bill is designed to remove unnecessary obstacles that have prevented the Build it Back program from moving forward, while ensuring that rigorous safety standards are upheld.”

Intro. 1341 allows the city to speed up construction in two ways. First, it will expedite the demolition process by allowing paperwork to be completed post-demolition, as long as the work is supervised by licensed safety professionals. Second, it will allow projects that could not proceed because of violations pre-dating Build it Back to move forward while at the same time ensuring the safety of these homes. In the past, this Administration and the City Council has provided tax relief for property owners affected by Sandy and has also removed unnecessary zoning restrictions on elevation and construction. Intro. 1341 is another improvement to the Build it Back program to help homeowners move into safer, more resilient homes faster.

—Information from the Mayor’s Office