Walk down virtually any block in New York City, and you will see at least one construction, demolition or restoration project that requires the erection and use of a sidewalk bridge. Most New Yorkers instantly recognize these structures: steel columns and beams supporting wood planking with four-foot-high parapet walls in a variety of colors covering the sidewalk in front of active job sites. On some blocks, it seems umbrellas are unnecessary on rainy days since the entire sidewalk from cross street to cross street is covered by a sidewalk bridge.

Although sidewalk bridges are indisputably necessary to protect pedestrians and facilitate improvements to real property, sidewalk bridges (despite their desirability in a rain storm) are often an unmitigated annoyance to neighbors. Section 3307.6.2 of the New York City Building Code states that sidewalk bridges, or sidewalk sheds, "shall extend 5 feet past the building when the building is less than 100 feet in height, and 20 feet past the building when the building is over 100 feet in height, regardless of whether such extensions are in front of the property being developed or in front of adjacent property." This is so that pedestrians walking near the building are protected from falling debris. The code further states that "extensions of sidewalk sheds…shall be constructed so as not to unreasonably obstruct, either visually or physically, entrances, egress, driveways, and show windows of adjacent properties." However, even a sidewalk bridge in compliance with this code is an unwelcome nuisance to adjoining buildings which will likely want to be compensated for this intrusion into their property.

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