Queen’s Chronicle
David Russell, 9.24.20
The City Council passed a bill last Wednesday requiring the Department of Buildings to study the safety and feasibility of permitting building facade inspections to be conducted by drones.
Under the Facade Inspection and Safety Program, owners of all buildings over six stories tall must conduct a facade inspection and make needed repairs every five years. Drone use in the city is prohibited under a 1948 law, restricting the takeoff and landing of any “aircraft” to airports and Port Authority-designated locations.
The bill, which passed unanimously, had 10 sponsors, including Queens Councilmen Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and Barry Grodenchik (D-Oakland Gardens).
“An outdated local law, drafted decades before the advent of what are popularly known as ‘drones,’ is leaving New York City on the ground while other cities are already using rapidly advancing technologies to support businesses and improve safety,” Vallone said.
Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, voiced his support for the drones as well.
“Drones offer a 21st-century solution to provide more detailed building inspections, increase public safety and reduce costs,” he said. “New technologies, like drones, are already being used effectively around the country and the world, so it is essential that New York embrace innovation and not be left behind.”
Michael Brennan, general manager of The Bay Club in Bay Terrace, wrote a letter in support of the bill, saying drone inspections will provide a better view.
“Currently an engineer gets a view using binoculars, and scaffold drops are used in areas of concern,” he wrote. “A drone can take high resolution photographs in a faster and less costly manner. A drone inspection would also be much safer for those working, inspecting and pedestrians below.”
The bill will take effect immediately once enacted and the study is to be completed and submitted no later than Oct. 31, 2021.
Vallone is also working with Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) to explore legislation that would be required to move forward with legalizing drone use in the city.
https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/council-wants-drones-studied-by-the-dob/article_94092497-4289-5557-ac69-db98922d8db5.html
