Anyone have any experience with NYC Permits

MrsKocal

As you know, my show is this weekend, and we are renting Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria.

I just got the invoice from the school for the permit ? we were quoted $200-300 for the permit when we initially contacted them.  The invoice I received says the permit will cost $1154!!!  That is NOT including $500 I need to pay for sound, plus hourly rates for the staff.  I was figuring a TOTAL of $1100, and they are telling me this is just for the permit alone. 

 

I have an email from the guy we are working with saying the permit would cost between $200-300.  I have emailed him and called him, but he never responds quickly so now I am just freaking out. 

 

 

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about permits like these and can tell me WTF is going on.  Are 5 hour permits usually this expensive??  Security was quoted as $900 for this event.  $900 for 250 people for 5 hours?? Seriously? If that is correct, I am in the wrong business.....

 

lawby2005

No help but yowza! Can you check nyc.gov and see if you can call the consumer affairs office or something?

MrsKocal

I have calls and emails in to a million people, but no one ever answers anything on time because it is NYC and they move at a snail's pace (and I am allowed to say that being the daughter of and wife of NYC employee's :-)

Nova726

What kind of permit is it?  Is it like a Temporary Place of Assembly or something? I would think that a place like this would be set up with these things, I'm usually good when it comes to permits but I'm confused.

MrsKocal

They are calling it an "Extended Use Permit" which doesn't sound right becuase we will only be there for 5 hours.  The request for payment is coming from the Queens Integrated Service Center, and the email came from the DOE. 

Basically, we are renting out a NYC public high school theater for our show and we needed a permit to use the space. 

Nova726

I'm sorry hun, but you found one of the few permits that I know absolutely nothing about.  Sorry hun, I'm good with DOB, DOT, DEP, ECB, FDNY, and a couple others but I've never had to deal with DOE before.

musiscout

Working as a teacher here, I can tell you won't get answers, but a lot of incompetence. I watched people at that office pick up phones that were ringing and hand them up immediately. Good Luck

MrsKocal

Helene, you sound like my hubby - he works for the Parks dept., and he knows about all sorts of permits but not ones from DOE.....argh!!