NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A525
SPONSOR: Braunstein TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to the declaration of a sign as a public nuisance
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To remove billboards that have been found to violate the New York zoning
resolution, as well as the structures attached to them.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends Section 28-503.1 of the administrative code of the
City of New York, as added by local law number 33 of the City of New
York for the year 2007 to provide that the Buildings Commissioner shall
order the removal of the illegal sign and its sign structure, if appli-
cable.
Section 2: Provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Advertisements on billboards throughout New York City have been removed,
following stricter enforcement of a 1940 law restricting ads within 200
feet of the City's main highways. However, while the advertisements have
been removed, the blank billboards and their stanchions remain. This
causes a serious quality of life issue for New York City residents, as
these blank billboards have become magnets for graffiti.
The billboards also create a safety issue for New Yorkers. In 2012, a
billboard next to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway fell onto the highway,
as well as three auto repair shops below. Although this incident did not
injure any drivers or pedestrians, it serves to highlight the dangers of
such large signs. Current law allows the commissioner to order the
removal of the signs after notice and a hearing. This bill would make
the removal of the sign and stanchion mandatory after notice and hear-
ing.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2015-2016: A.3634/S.4419 - Referred to Cities.
2017-2018: A. 707/S.5441 - Referred to Cities.
2019-2020: A.320/S.811 - Referred to Cities.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
525
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRAUNSTEIN, DINOWITZ, GOTTFRIED -- Multi-Spon-
sored by -- M. of A. COOK, SIMON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Cities
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to the declaration of a sign as a public nuisance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 28-503.1 of the administrative code of the city of
2 New York, as added by local law number 33 of the city of New York for
3 the year 2007, is amended to read as follows:
4 § 28-503.1 General. A sign with a surface area greater than 200 square
5 feet (19 m{2}) that is erected, maintained, attached, affixed, painted
6 on, or in any other manner represented on a building or premises in
7 violation of the zoning resolution, this code, the 1968 building code or
8 rules adopted pursuant thereto is hereby declared to be a public
9 nuisance. The commissioner [may] shall, after notice and hearing, order
10 the removal of such illegal sign [or] and its sign structure [or both],
11 if applicable, as hereinafter provided.
12 § 2. The commissioner of buildings shall immediately order the removal
13 of any sign and its sign structure that has previously been deemed ille-
14 gal.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03445-01-1
