You have all seen them in front of restaurants’ doors in the winter: the large 
vestibules or storm enclosures that take up 3′ or 4′ of sidewalk . They stay up until April or sometimes during the whole year and they are illegal! Per the code, they cannot extend by more than 18″.
But when it came to enforcing the law, over the last 5 years we encountered an impossible magma of incompetence, unwillingness, and inadequate procedures. Agencies bounced the problem back and forth, calls to 311 directed the issue to the wrong agencies , and in the meantime the vestibules proliferated: over 100 of them are now installed in our district.
Finally with the help of CB4 District Manager, Jesse Bodine, the Department of Buildings has agreed to enforce the rule and created a dedicated panel on the 311 system to log the issues: here is the link
Lets reclaim our space !
And Bravo Jesse Bodine for your wise guidance and help on this matter .