To standardize the elaborate patchwork of local regulations that have made putting up buildings in New York a complex maze, both bills would adapt many of the same codes used throughout the nation. The codes recognize new construction materials and techniques, while preserving many of the precautions put in place for a densely packed, high-rise city.
One bill, known as Introduction 478, is based on the International Building Code, the standard used by most cities and states. The bill has the strong backing of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the real estate industry, who say it will reduce costs and simplify the construction process.
The second bill, known as Introduction 368, endorses a newer code designed by the National Fire Protection Association. It has won the support of the firefighters' and plumbers' unions, in part because they say the safety provisions are more stringent, but also because they are angry that the process has largely unfolded behind closed doors.
Since the stakes for the future design of the city are considerable and the interests of those on either side are strong, there were several contentious moments. At one point, Councilman Robert Jackson, the main sponsor of the National Fire Protection Association code, hinted that the Bloomberg administration had long ago selected the International Building Code and failed to study the other options fully.
Plans for the new codes were hammered out over the last two years by 13 committees appointed by the Bloomberg administration and including engineers, safety experts and real estate developers, among others.
In her testimony, Patricia J. Lancaster, the city's buildings commissioner, said the International Building Code was superior to the fire protection code "in every way." Most important, perhaps, the International Building Code is used in 44 states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, she said, while the National Fire Protection Association code is used only in Pasadena, Tex., and Pittsfield, Me.
Those assessments were challenged by people such as Peter Gorman, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association; Bertha Lewis, executive director of Acorn in New York, an advocacy group for low-income families; and James M. Shannon, president of the National Fire Protection Association.
Those speakers and others said the mayor's approach was flawed and limited because it relied too much on developers and ignored the voices of the working class. In fact, some said their complaints were rooted not in any major economic or safety differences in the codes, but rather in the approach to the process, with the National Fire Protection Association being far more inclusive.
