Get Ready for the 2019 Holiday Construction Embargo, November 15, 2019 – January 2, 2020
By Wayne Sheppard
As New York City gears up for “the most wonderful time of year,” those of us in the construction industry need to plan ahead for the Department of Transportation’s annual holiday construction embargo.
The DOT holiday embargo (HE) starts at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 15, 2019, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2020. During this time, only emergency work will be allowed, provided that DOT receives an emergency number. Utility cover openings will also be restricted unless DOT issues an emergency authorization number.
Any non-emergency construction permits issued before the embargo announcement date will be suspended during the embargo period for the locations identified on the DOT website. The only exceptions will be those permits bearing the HE permit stipulation “410.” All permitholders must comply with the embargo unless they receive special permission from DOT’s Office of Construction Mitigation and Coordination (OCMC).
HE Permit Requests
Starting 90 days before the embargo, permit applications regarding work on affected streets will be flagged during the application process, notifying applicants that their request(s) will be subject to the upcoming embargo. Applicants that seek permits for construction activities during the embargo must identify critical reasons for the work in the “Work Description” field.
All permit applications that include requests to work on embargoed streets during the HE period will automatically incur an additional $150 HE application review fee. This fee must be paid before OCMC staff will review the permit requests. Failure to pay the HE application review fee within five (5) calendar days will result in rejection of the entire application by the NYCSTREETS system. Payment of this fee does not guarantee approval of the permit request(s).
Permit requests for ongoing construction that already have the “410” stipulation will not be subject to the HE application review fee. Such requests will be processed as usual, as will all permit requests not subject to the holiday embargo.
The deadline for submitting online permit applications for work during the HE is Thursday, October 31, 2019. After this date, permit applications for such work must be submitted in person at the NYC DOT Construction Permits Central Office during normal window hours, from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.
If you have any questions about how the embargo affects your projects, please contact Metropolis Group at 212.233.6344.