A quick update on a few of our favorite subjects:
Phone Booths: Per DoiTT, the new design was approved on March 23rd. The contractual Kick off for the new installations is on July 21st, 2015. All of the old phones must be either replaced or removed by July 20th, 2019.
A- Frames, also known as Sandwich Boards: After much research and work by Matt Green of Council Member Corey Johnson, the Department of Sanitation we have now learned that A-frames are illegal, no matter if they are 3 feet or not outside a business. Law §16-118(2)(a) that permits displays to enrich 3 feet on the sidewalk, applies only to merchandise that is on display.
The Department of Sanitation is now committed to enforcing this law in our neighborhood. Call 311 , report the presence of an A- Frame , and forward the 311 call reference number to Jesse Bodine at CB4 and /or Matt Green at Council member office.
Storm Enclosures. Similarly after months of follow up by Jesse Bodine, the CB4 District Manager, the Department of Building has now confirmed that all storm enclosures that exceed 18 inches are illegal and will start to enforce next winter. For the time being they are sending letters to the current offenders to notify them in advance .
In parallel, the Transportation Committee is asking the Departement of Buidlings to add this item as a type of complaints in the 311 system. Hopefully these tools will allow us to push back on this invasion of our scarce sidewalk space.
Finally the Business and License Permits Committee is changing its stipulations form to ask that NO storm enclosure be installed.