Williamsburg resident and community activist Phil DePaolo has keeps an eye on development around Williamsburg. So, after a story in yesterday’s NY Post about a “condo crackdown” in Williamsburg that says the Department of Buildings has been issuing more Stop Work Orders–and our own post showing unauthorized Sunday construction work going on at a site that Mr. DePaolo and others have repeatedly complained about without results–he sent out an email titled “Condo Crackdown, Yeah Right!” Mr. DePaolo says the “crackdown” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Based on the miles we log every week checking out Williamsburg developments, we believe that Mr. DePaolo hits the nail on the head. Here’s what he writes:

I have been after DOB to monitor 525 Union Ave. for the last five months. They work after hours they have worked every Sunday since April. They did not work Sunday’s during the [Giglio] feast. But they have worked every Sunday since. The Modern on North 7th was only issued a stop work after damaging the L train Tunnel and drilling into the sewer line. But my months of complaining to DOB that the adjoining property at 203 N 7th was not being shored up and was starting to show cracks in its foundation were claimed to be resolved in June. And the collapsing sidewalk in front of the Modern was also claimed to be repaired in June and a earlier stop work order was lifted. Yet none of the claimed repairs were done. It’s only since last Friday that DOB has again ordered the shoring up of 203 North 7th when this work was supposedly completed in June. Stories like this only feed the illusion that DOB is doing anything. Makes you wonder.

We will simply point out that a few Stop Work Orders do not make up for years of looking the other way or for an inspection team that is not large enough to adequately monitor construction or for the very real complaints of activists like Mr. DePaolo who say that conditions that threaten quality of life (like after-hours and Sunday construction) or that literally threaten safety (like buildings that are undermined by construction) are ignored.