Yesterday, we ran the YouTube vid of the South Slope dust storm from construction at 15th Street and 8th Avenue. This morning we found this email about the 406-408 15th Street project. It gets at the utter ineffectiveness of Department of Buildings’ orders and points out how they are routinely ignored by developers:

They have a full crew working today. Including jack Locicero the owner. Called the 72nd Precinct. There is a partial stop work order on site. They are in full construction mode. Not just putzing around. Anyone able to call down the wrath of the gods, please make the phone call.

We’re no experts in this sense, but do you think that a bigger inspection and enforcement staff along with genuine penalties for violations of orders (say fines ranging into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and immediate seizure of property for non-payment) might help rectify the situation? Hmmm.

[Photo courtesy of IMBY]