New York City DOB Goes On The Offensive Against Illegal Billboards

NPA billboards (seen top left) proliferated on corners all over Manhattan. That alone raised eyebrows, but it was those small "win these posters inside" signs sitting atop the ads that were really suspect. And though you really could win a poster as advertised, there was something fishy about the offer, as if they were used to skirt the regulation by changing intent.

Ryan Fitzgibbon, spokeswoman for the City Department of Buildings, told the New York Times:
“If outdoor advertisement is allowed, a permit from D.O.B. must be obtained in order to post an advertisement or a sign,” she said, adding, “Advertisements are not allowed on construction fences.”

The DOB has its work cut out for it—there are thousands of illegal advertisement structures in the city—but it seems that DOB has been making progress. On May 28, 2009, for the first time ever, the DOB forcibly removed an illegal ad at 174 Broadway. What's more, The New York Post reports that a federal appeals court ruling in February finally authorized the city to enforce regulations that the billboard industry has hotly contested since the Giuliani administration. This has resulted in a "blitz against illegal signs and billboards along the city's busiest roadways," with 53 voluntarily removed.

It's quite possible you've noticed the results in your own neighborhood. As of late, the DOB has also been focusing on street level billboards owned by NPA. The sites first get covered in white paper, before being taken down completely. Note the photo above showing the results of these efforts, on corner of Mulberry and Kenmare.

What about the signs advertising free posters?

PAC vs NPA: Taking Over Illegal Ads with Illegal Art

Jordan Seiler's Public Ad Campaign hit the streets of New York City on Sunday to reclaim alleged illegal advertisements placed by the NPA advertising company. Reporters at the New York Times and ANIMAL New York were both tagging along and have more on the story.

At 3:30 pm, NYC The Blog happened upon two artists, Philip Lumbang and Shai Dahan, (seen in the video above) who just finished adding some art to whitewashed ads on Broome and Chrystie Streets. They explained that approximately 120 signs were targeted on Sunday, signs that Public Ad Campaign maintain are illegal and erected without proper permits or permissions.  (See a photo set of their work here.) The Times reports:

A spokeswoman for the City Department of Buildings, Ryan Fitzgibbon, said on Sunday that it was difficult to immediately address Mr. Seiler’s claims. “If outdoor advertisement is allowed, a permit from D.O.B. must be obtained in order to post an advertisement or a sign,” she said. “Advertisements are not allowed on construction fences.”

It is no secret, however, that such advertisements abound, and on Sunday morning Mr. Seiler pointed to a construction fence near his studio that was covered with dozens of pasted posters.

It is this advertising, illegal in nature and often encouraging you to "Buy this, do this, eat that," Lumbang told NYCTB, that is particularly offensive.

Shai Dahan explained: "We can be out here for 45 minutes and have cops roll up on us and be like, 'Hey, you're not supposed to do that' but at the same time, [NPA] puts this stuff up on a weekly basis...and when was the last time you saw any of those guys in handcuffs?"

Representatives for NPA did not return phone calls or emails requesting comment.