Life is Short, Scaffolding is Long
We recently got an inquiry from a reader concerning the scaffolding at 65 Montague, shown above, which has now been joined by similar scaffolding in front of the adjoining Heights Casino, resulting in about two thirds of the sidewalk on the north side of Montague between Henry and Pierrepont Place being covered. Our interrogator was particularly puzzled because no work on the facade of 65 Montague has been evident for some time, while the scaffolding has remained. As can be seen from the photo, the building was originally issued a permit for scaffolding that expired on April 1, 2007, but has now been extended to December 31 of this year. Curious ourselves as to what might be going on there (your correspondent lives on the same block of Montague), we contacted Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association, who in turn made some inquiries and provided us with the following:
I learned from residents of 65 Montague that the scaffolding at 65 Montague and 20 Pierrepont is still up as they expect to (soon) begin a major project to replace the windows. The replacement project was scheduled to begin shortly after their masonry project finished (which was the first initiative to require scaffold) but there were some issues with contractors and the bidding process which delayed the window replacement. They expect the work to begin late summer/early fall. It is considerably more economical for the coop to leave the scaffolding in place than to take it down and re-install it a few months later.
The reference to 20 Pierrepont indicates that it and 65 Montague are entrances to the same building.
Much, though not all, of the scaffolding seen in front of Heights buildings is a result of Local Law 11, which requires all buildings six stories or higher to have their facades periodically inspected and, if needed, repaired in order to protect pedestrians from falling masonry. Others, for example at 82 Remsen, are because of major rehabilitation of a building, and tend to stay up much longer than for Local Law 11 inspections.
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Posted : June 24th, 2008 at 5:53 pm by Claude Scales under Brooklyn Heights, Real Estate.
Tags:20 Pierrepont, 65 Montague, casino, Judy Stanton, Local Law 11
Comments: 8
Comments
Comment from scaffold hostage
Time: June 24, 2008, 8:45 pm
I live here. Surrounded by green pipes and narrowed sidewalks. With an apathetic Super and disinterested Managing Agent. They did the roof last year and the façade 2 years ago, but they maintain the scaffold until the windows have been replaced. Alas, when I bought in 2002 they were working on the windows, and no sign of them yet! I fear it’s long-term scaffolding because there’s been no information at all yet about future dates of window installations. Stay tuned…
Comment from CJP
Time: June 24, 2008, 9:45 pm
Hostage… I feel your pain. But scaffolding goes up. And it does come down. Just yesterday it vanished from in front of Garden of Eden.
Comment from bhbabe
Time: June 24, 2008, 9:53 pm
If you don’t mind a few more weeks of scaffolding, buy this apartment!
http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/253-NS8061942
:)
Comment from Bob
Time: June 24, 2008, 11:47 pm
In every cloud: Have enjoyed some of the latest special effect-quality thunderstorms from ‘neath the scaffold of our building on Montague. Also: special thanks to the Casino for the Hicks-to-my-doorway-protection their scaffold added last week. Now come on, Breukelen get with the program!
Comment from Claude Scales
Time: June 25, 2008, 12:03 am
Sorry, Bob. I live in the Breukelen, and we had our Local Law 11 just two years ago, which means we’re free and clear for another three (unless something falls off the building). So I have a while before I have to see and hear workers pounding away on bricks and cement outside my window, or using my air conditioner as a footrest.
Comment from bh_dad
Time: June 25, 2008, 6:27 pm
I live here, I agree w/most of what scaffold hostage said, but the super is very good, managing agent & the board couldn’t care less or just totally incompetent, probably both. This has to be the longest window replacement project in history.
Pingback from Brooklyn Heights Blog » The Cheops Award: Cast Your Vote
Time: July 3, 2008, 3:40 pm
[...] Pyramid of Cheops, though it has been estimated to have been at least thirty years. My earlier post on the persistence of scaffolding, and the number of long-term construction or renovation projects [...]
Pingback from Brooklyn Heights Blog » End in Sight for Scaffolding at 65 Montague/20 Pierrepont?
Time: March 22, 2009, 9:22 pm
[...] place for some years now at 65 Montague and its companion building, 20 Pierrepont, as we noted in this post last June. At the time, we were advised that the scaffolding was being kept in place pending a window [...]
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