The DOB is celebrating the City Council’s recent passing of new “Get Sheds Down” legislation. It comprises reforms that will induce building owners to minimize the time that sidewalks sheds “grace” their building frontage while facades are inspected or repaired.

This initiative aligns with SUPERSTRUCTURES’ strategic, “fix then file” approach to Local Law 11 (FISP) inspections, where sheds and scaffolding do double duty for proactive facade repairs and mandated physical inspection drops.

The new legislation reduces sidewalk shed permits for facade repairs from one year to just three months. New penalties will be enforced for prolonged scaffolding without active work, starting from the second renewal. The new legislation also introduces harsher fines for failing to submit construction documents within five months of completion, not filing necessary permit applications within eight months, and failing to complete repairs within two years.

The minimum height for sidewalk sheds has been raised from 8 to 12 feet, and LED lighting under sheds with doubled brightness levels is now required. And gone are the days of every sidewalk shed being painted hunter green—property owners can choose from a broader range of colors.

Sidewalk sheds—nearly 400 miles of which line the city’s streets—are meant to be temporary protection, but some have become semi-permanent fixtures. Along with the legal incentives of Get Sheds Down, alternatives like construction netting and new shed designs that are less of an eyesore are steps in the right direction.