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Still no action on crane accident
[Photo via West Side Spirit]
November 2, 2009 - As most who read this are already aware, a crane accident that occurred on October 8 at a Columbus Village construction site collapsed part of a sidewalk shed covering a pedestrian walkway at Columbus Avenue and 97th Street. Fortunately, no one was walking under the shed at the time of the accident, and no one was hurt.
Westsiders for Public Participation has since joined with Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito in repeated requests to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) for a full public report about why--not how!--the accident occurred and what the City is doing to insure the safety of residents walking the sidewalks of the Park West Village neighborhood.
DOB's response has stopped just short of complete disregard.
Councilmemember Mark-Viverito has recently received a letter from DOB Assistant Commissioner Michael Alacha, who apparently didn't even take the time to accept the changes to his letter that were provided to him--presumably--by an editor in DOB's own press office. You can see the letter in the unfinished form in which our councilmember received it by clicking here. [Note that while the address where the accident occurred was 775 Columbus Avenue, the assistant commissioner refers to 795 Columbus Avenue in his letter.]
This most recent accident marks the second time a construction failure has damaged the Park West Village neighborhood since the development of Columbus Village began. The July 2007 collapse of a retaining wall at the 808 Columbus Avenue excavation site left feeling similarly traumatized--and was met with comparable disregard by DOB, leaving residents with little confidence in the City's commitment to insuring their personal safety.
Westsiders for Public Participation renews its call for an immediate open public meeting with DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri to hear his responses to lingering questions from Park West Village Neighborhood stakeholders. We also renew our offer to host that meeting at our own expense, and we request a final version of DOB Assistant Commissioner Michael Alacha's letter in whatever form he intends.
