This interview is part of Milrose's Employee Spotlight series. Our last Employee Spotlight was Regional Director of Sales, Alfonso Cava. Andrew has been with Milrose since December 2015. He was recently appointed as a Public Member of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Advisory Board (UCCAB).

1. What is your role at Milrose and what are your responsibilities?

My role at Milrose is to perform plan review of proposed projects that come to us via architects, property managers, builders and others for projects in the Tri-State New York metropolitan area - primarily Manhattan. These can be new buildings, renovations within existing buildings or feasibility studies as to what may or may not be possible from a zoning and/or code perspective. I review the drawings to make sure they are in compliance with the applicable zoning regulations and codes that may apply. I have worked on projects in New York City, Connecticut, and New Jersey. While in theory, the codes are supposed to be uniform, every jurisdiction does things a bit differently - that can be a challenge. 

2. Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in a great little town - New Providence, New Jersey. I currently reside in Summit, New Jersey. All my children, my parents and one grandparent were born there. 

3. Can you provide me with a background on your career history prior to Milrose?

My career has always been construction based in one form or the other. Looking back, I guess you could say I started from the ground up - literally.

My first full-time job out of high school was in land surveying. I was on every type of job site. We did boundary and topographical surveys of large parcels of raw land, staked out project infrastructure, building foundations, title surveys, etc. It was a great start for me and it was fun. Next, I took a job as an assistant engineer with the City of Summit. I soon transferred over to the building department when the State of New Jersey adopted the Uniform Construction Code. At that time, the building inspector needed someone to help keep up with the plan review and inspections and I took that as an opportunity for career advancement. During those years I became a licensed NJ Construction Official and I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration.

Next, I took a position with the New Jersey Builders Association. They were looking for an in-house code expert to assist builders in understanding the codes or, help them out if they were having difficulties with a particular municipality. It was during this time that I became very close with the Building Officials Association of New Jersey and many of the administrators of the code on the State level. I got to know many code officials throughout New Jersey. It's all about communication. Over time, I earned the respect of home builders large and small and at the same time, the respect of the code officials throughout the State. I was appointed by the National Association of Home Builders to draft the first edition of the International Residential Code and was involved in the drafting of the NJ Rehabilitation Code for existing structures. I had a great, long run with the NJ home builders.

After "being there, done that", I moved into commercial development with a medium-sized commercial developer in Central New Jersey who was looking for someone to handle all of their regulatory work. The company was building new mid-rise buildings and renovating their existing building stock. I was the "red tape" guy. Whatever regulatory obstacle that was in the way, my job was to get it resolved. Also, once our new tenants took occupancy, I handled many of their issues. The recession of 2009 took a slow toll on our company which ultimately led me to Milrose in 2015.

Now, at Milrose, I'm working on projects where the sky is the limit. The designs are beyond most imaginations. I have access to places where the average person would never go. It was the right company at the right time for me personally, and for that I am thankful.

4. How did your prior roles prepare you to succeed in your current role at Milrose?

I was well-versed in the codes and the players on the New Jersey side of the river. Regardless, it took some time (still learning) to understand the New York City codes, more so, the administrative procedures. However, the life/safety principals remain the same. I understand the demands of the building business, the deadlines, the timeframes, the personalities, and the difference a day or two makes when trying to reach a milestone on a particular project. 

5. You were recently appointed as a Public Member of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Advisory Board (UCCAB) for a three-year term. Can you tell me about what the committee does, the appointment selection process and the role you will play on the committee?

I am one of 15 individuals who are appointed by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. That committee oversees the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC) which is essentially a set of rules that were developed soon after the NJ Uniform Construction Code Act was adopted into law in 1975. The "blue book" regulations by reference adopt national model codes, along with several homegrown codes, which are implemented statewide. The UCC also sets forth the administrative rules for licensing of code officials, the permitting process and much, much more.

The UCC Advisory Board was established to ensure that the intent and purpose of the UCC Act stays the course. We look at new developments in technology and life safety trends, while keeping an eye on costs associated with any change that could have an impact on the building industry without positive benefits to the consumer. I am representing the consumer public on the Board. We are now in the process of reviewing the 2018 series of national model codes (most published by the International Code Council). Ultimately, we will make our recommendations on the finer points in the codes which will then be published for public comment. The new codes will likely be adopted around June 2019. 

6. What are the biggest differences/similarities in the municipal approval process between filing projects in NJ and NYC?

New York City has an "a la carte" method of permit filing. For a single project, the process includes multiple forms, applications, and permit filings. New Jersey, on the other hand, accepts a single complete filing with plans and forms as a permit application. Typically, all trades are filed under a single permit. In simpler terms, New York City has multiple applications for individual aspects of a job while New Jersey has a single set permit that covers the entire job.

Another big difference is the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy. In New York City, when a particular project is complete, a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is issued for that portion of a building. Existing buildings rarely receive Final COs because there are always open permits somewhere within the structure. Only if all permitted projects are signed off as complete will the entire building receive a Final CO in New York. In New Jersey, while Temporary COs are issued on occasion, the common practice is to issue a Final CO when an individual project is complete within an existing building, or on completion of a new building. In New York, I believe it's a matter of having better control of how the overall building will function with the TCO process.

Another notable difference between the two states is the emphasis on "places of public assembly" in New York City. These PAs are treated with separate chapters or sections in the NYC Building Codes where any room or space has 75 or more people in it. Separate plan submissions are required in New York for PA spaces. Whereas, New Jersey doesn't place any additional scrutiny on a PA (50 or more persons) than it would for other occupancies in a building. There is attention given, but not treated as a distinct process.

7. You have recently educated your colleagues through Milrose’s internal education program, Milrose University. What topics did you present on and why were they important to provide training on?

Milrose University just finished a 6-month program of zoning topics. The program is open to the entire Milrose staff. I did a segment on the New York City Zoning Resolution relative to parking. With all the congestion and air quality problems in the New York City area, the need to regulate parking is crucial to the functionality of the city.

I also presented an overview of the New York City Plumbing Code as part of a more technical series. One of the main learning objectives was to have students understand how to calculate the required number of plumbing structures needed based on the building occupancy. The rest is all about gravity.

8. You are an expert in building, fire, energy, ADA/barrier-free industry codes, can you think of any projects in particular where your expertise in these areas really came into great use?

They all come into play one way or the other. Each new project has different nuances where the emphasis might be heavier on fire safety, egress, energy, accessibility and so on.

One of my more recent projects was "Brooklyn Steel" where many technical code topics were in play. An old steel fabrication building in Brooklyn was converted into a 3,000 person venue for contemporary musicians and artists. There were complicated egress scenarios that needed to be right and accessibility was assured throughout the entire building. The energy code aspect of bringing an old industrial building to code into compliance was an interesting undertaking as well.

Another cool project was at Yankee Stadium. Last winter, contractors removed two large bleacher sections from the stadium outfield areas and converted them into "landing" spaces where patrons can stand and watch the game unfold. Again, there were some interesting egress and accessibility considerations associated with this project. How this job was completed by opening day was simply amazing.

Currently at Lincoln Center, proposed renovations are scheduled for David Geffen Hall, the home of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra. This project is in its early stages and is sure to be interesting. The end result I'm sure will be astounding.

9. What excites you about the work you are doing?

Every day is different. There's always a different project that pops up on the screen. I have always loved Manhattan. I am fascinated by the history of New York City--its early settlements, the early buildings, the phases of growth and the types of construction that evolved along the way. To have the opportunity to work on some of the historic buildings and landmark structures is exciting…. Not to mention the new buildings! I think it's exciting to take any size job in New York and make it work within a budget and within a timeframe. Sometimes I will see something on paper and wonder how it's going to happen. Having said that, much credit is due to the design pros and builders who bring the paper to life. We make it work from a code and safety side. 

10. What organizations/activities are you involved with outside of work?

I thought I'd be ramping down at this stage of the game, but in reality, I'm doing more and more. I'll stick to the activities. My wife and I have 3 adult children and 2 grandkids. Besides keeping up with them, I have always enjoyed athletics and try to stay active in individual and team related sports. I like to run road races - all distances. The competition excites me. I've run 15 marathons over the last 16 years - 7 of them Boston. People ask me all the time, "Why do you keep pushing yourself?" I think it's because I can. Running provides me a time to think things through. A problem I couldn't solve the night before, I can solve the next day during a run.

Outside of athletics, I have an old Jeep I like to work on. I get satisfaction out of fixing things. My wife and I recently finished renovating a neglected "A-Frame" on Cape Cod - which also happens to be my favorite place on Earth. We get up there quite a bit.

11. Anything else that you would like to share?

Besides myself, there are approximately a dozen professional Code and Zoning staff members at Milrose. We all work together as a tight unit. My co-workers have diverse backgrounds with decades of combined expertise. We all tap into each other for insight. I couldn't do my job without these other people to lean on.