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Architect Banned From Brooklyn For Deceiving Planning Dept.

Posted by: Tim Halbur

4 March 2010 - 11:00am

A judge has banned Brookyln architect Robert M. Scarano Jr from submitting building plans to the city after many of his buildings allegedly were built taller or larger than the plans portrayed.

Kareem Fahim writes, "In the building boom of the last decade, Mr. Scarano emerged as one of Brooklyn's more prolific and controversial architects, a favored choice of developers looking to capitalize on rising real estate values but the scourge of many community groups, who complained that his buildings dwarfed the structures around them, blocking views and sunlight. Now, city officials have found that they also often dwarfed the plans Mr. Scarano filed to get them built."

Full Story: Controversial Architect Is Barred by City
Source: The New York Times, March 4, 2010
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Banned for Deception: Simple Solution

Submitted by cvanempel on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 13:43.

1. Don't issue a C of O.
2. Don't turn on utilities.
3. Require that anything not built to plan be removed AND recycled.
4. Require resubmittal of plans showing how the removed portion will be repaired, including submittal of a second round of plan check fees.
5. The agency will only have to do this once. Maybe twice for the truly learning-impaired.

Removing parts of a building

Submitted by HRPlanner on Tue, 03/09/2010 - 09:16.

Here, there is a 5 story super-sized office building that was constructed two stories taller than every other building around it. The height wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't so wide and boxy, and located on the highest point of the town (where it can be viewed for miles.)

The idea of removing the top two floors/followed by repair to bring the building back to a compatible scale is desirable. Any suggestions?

Does this happen often?

Submitted by HRPlanner on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 11:23.

Does anyone have a sense of how often this deceptive practice happens in planning??

Not very often when diligent.

Submitted by Dano on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 04:44.

If everyone is doing their job, it happens rarely. IMHO most of this stuff was fairly visible.

Best,

D

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