LONG ISLAND CITY — Sidewalk sheds that have been up for years at the Queensbridge Houses will finally start coming down in 2016, according to NYCHA.
The Housing Authority says it's planning repairs for all 26 of the development's buildings — including brickwork, roofing and parapet replacement, paid for with NYCHA capital funding — which could begin as early as the spring of 2015. The sidewalk sheds could start coming down the following spring.
Residents have long complained of them being eyesores that obscure security cameras
"We understand residents' frustration over having sheds in place for prolonged periods, but the sheds are there to protect them from unsafe building facade conditions and must remain in place until potential hazards are addressed," NYCHA said in a statement.
Scaffolding at the Queensbridge Houses was erected in 2010, NYCHA told DNAinfo previously. Residents have worried that some obscure the views of security cameras or serve as stash houses for drug dealers.
"We fought for cameras in our community," said Tenants Association President April Simpson, who said the sidewalk sheds are common at NYCHA campuses all over the city.
"Unfortunately, they're citywide," she said. "It's not just in Queensbridge."
Earlier this year, NYCHA announced that it was instituting a quicker and more streamlined process for making repairs and removing sidewalk sheds at dozens of its developments. In 2013, it removed sheds at 188 buildings in 52 developments.
According to the Housing Authority, most of the scaffolding is erected to comply with the city's Local Law 11, which requires buildings seven stories or higher to have their exterior walls inspected every five years.
If defects are found in a building's facade, a sidewalk shed must be installed and remain in place until repairs are completed.
But Simpson said the timeline at the Queensbridge Houses isn't fast enough.
"If it was in another neighborhood, that wouldn't happen," she said.
Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a multi-agency initiative to boost safety at 15 of the city's NYCHA developments — including Queensbridge — which includes investing $50 million into physical improvements to enhance safety, like security lights and cameras.
According to that announcement, NYCHA has moved 10.9 miles of sidewalk sheds in 2014 and will have an additional 10.2 miles removed by next spring.
