A December 2005 fire in this illegal conversion left three children and one senior citizen dead. Tribune Photos by Ira Cohen Many officials cite the department’s ineffectiveness in handling its tasks – they simply haven’t the tools needed to do the job they must do. Others refer to specific instances, such as the Dec. 6, 2005 Elmhurst fire where an illegally converted house caught blaze and led to the death of three children and one elderly man. It was believed that 21 people were living in the single-family Denman Street residence at the time, yet the DOB didn’t know. Last October, Councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis) visited the construction site of a single-family home in Holliswood, where a stop work order left a partially demolished structure with broken glass, debris, unkempt bricks and a gaping hole open to the public. According to the DOB, the site did not require a protective fence because it was listed as an alteration. “This is a situation that cries out for a criminal violation,” Weprin said, at the time. He later drafted legislation to prosecute developers who leave dangerous sites open to the public, but like every bill introduced before Jan. 1, it has been put on hold. Growing Frustration Annoyed by bills still waiting in the wings of the City Council, Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has made the DOB one of his main targets. In the past, he has referred to the agency as “the most corrupt in the history of the City of New York.” Although Avella remains near the top of the list when it comes to his dissatisfaction with the DOB, he said holding countless public forums won’t get the agency to reform. “Meetings have been all and good, but let’s take some concrete action,” he said. Avella added that although his name is listed along with his fellow Queens representatives on the flyer promoting next week’s event, he won’t be attending. “You have a meeting when you don’t know what the issues are,” he said. “We have been talking about this since June and we have passed nothing.” In the case of illegal conversions, current laws only allow inspectors to visit the doorstep after a complaint is made. Inspectors show up once, but if no one is home, or the inspector is not invited inside, they leave. A second trip always follows, but if the result is the same, the case is closed until an additional complaint is made. The process is then repeated. According to DOB spokeswoman Jennifer Givner, complaints are filed confidentially and, depending on their severity, inspectors may arrive to the scene within hours in the case of an emergency, or possibly months when it comes to zoning disputes and illegal conversions. The prioritized list, she added, currently has a better than average response time. The Commissioner Speaks As far as DOB Commissioner Patricia Lancaster is concerned, proposed laws that violate citizens’ rights could be unconstitutional, but lacking them makes her inspectors’ job that much more difficult. In April, she attended the Queens American Institute of Architects’ monthly meeting in Bayside, where she laid out her proposal to accomplish much of which the City Council’s Task Force will be addressing. At the meeting, she outlined “a vision for the next four years.” Lancaster said she was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2002 to transform the entire department by dealing with a lack of employment and by providing a more coordinated effort among those who seek variances and those who approve them – then making sure they are legitimate. She noted that job vacancies are being filled and actions could involve changing the scope of the self certification process. The method of self certifying plans allows licensed developers to initially approve their own work, thus giving them a free but professional reign over their work. The future, she said, is to rid the agency of its long-standing corrupt practices. In May, the DOB released the latest edition of its code of conduct policy. It calls for “zero tolerance” for serious offenses and even criminal prosecution for those who repeatedly break the law. In 2003, Lancaster started the initiative, but it only applied to employees. Now it stands for any customer who uses the DOB. According to the text, the DOB is the only city agency to have such a policy. Now, despite their efforts, the City Council will be adding pressure to make sure the DOB is following through on many of its new policies. “It is our hope that the Task Force will solicit meaningful feedback at its Queens forum,” said Givner. “We welcome constructive suggestions and creative ideas.” “In fairness to them, I have a better appreciation (for the DOB),” said Minority Leader Oddo. “Up until now, it’s been us bashing them.” “I think the community will look forward to this,” said Councilman Dennis Gallagher (R-Middle Village), who will host the forum. “Let’s hope it’s not too little too late. I think this is a great opportunity for non lobbyists, for the residents, to come out and testify.”

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