Democracy In Albany

The code for the City of Albany can be found here:
http://www.ecodes.generalcode.com/codebook_frameset.asp?t=tc&p=0934%2D231%2Ehtm%23Section231%2D1 30%2E&cn=1867&n[1][984][1729][1734][1824][1867]

(Someday I'll learn the proper html code to shorten links)

The section covering Certificates of Occupancy is Article IX, Part 4 Residential Occupancy Permit, Sec. 231, subsections 128 - 135.

As I have said, my reading of the code interprets the 30 month Certificate of Occupancy to be valid until an apartment has been vacated, at which time the unit must be reinspected and a new certificate issued before the unit is reoccupied.
I know that this is not the current practice and that you disagree with my understanding of the ordinance.

Although the US Census bureau has a myriad of housing statistics, I was unable to locate any that reported the number of storeys those units were located in, although they did report the breakdown of the number of bedrooms by housing units.

Here's a breakdown of Albany's housing:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S2504&-geo_id=1 6000US3601000&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-lang=en&-redoLog=false

Please note that this report covers only the City of Albany and does not include not the entire county.

New York City is comprised of five counties. Here is the report for NYC:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&redoLog=true&-caller=geoselect&geo_id 16000US3651000&-format=&-_lang=en

NY County (Manhattan):
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&redoLog=false&-caller=geoselect&-geo_i d=05000US36061&-format=&-_lang=en

Kings County (Brooklyn):
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&redoLog=false&-caller=geoselect&-geo_i d=05000US36047&-format=&-_lang=en

Queens County:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&redoLog=false&-caller=geoselect&-geo_i d=05000US36081&-format=&-_lang=en

Bronx County:
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&redoLog=false&-caller=geoselect&-geo_i d=05000US36005&-format=&-_lang=en

Richmond County (Staten Island)
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S250 4&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00&tree_id=306&keyword=Staten%20Island&-redoLog=true&- _caller=geoselect&-geo_id=05000US36085&-format=&-_lang=en

As I said, I cannot draw any conclusions about the height of the buildings that the breakdown of units by rooms/bedrooms reports. Perhaps you can.

The date of the building construction is somewhat interesting. From it we can determine the median age of Albany's housing is a bit older than NYC's. We can also track building trends by year from this information.

More demographic information from TerraFly can be found Here:
http://vn4.cs.fiu.edu/cgi-bin/gnis.cgi?Lat=42.659828&Long=73.781342&aid=I3601000&vid=&am p;areatype=incorp&place_name=+Albany+city

Lastly, regarding the fixed window stops which restrict the windows opening: there are several types used and these are all problematic for the same reasons you gave as why fixed window bars would be, that they will present a psycholoclogical and physical barrier to anyone trying to escape a fire using the window as an egress point.

The fixed type are generally small pieces of angle iron that fit into the window track and are screwed into the frame. They are meant to be permanent and cannot be quickly removed in case of fire.

Another type used are window pins. These can simply be a nail placed into a hole drilled through the interior window's frame that penetrates into but not through the exterior window's frame. Several holes can be drilled into the exterior window's frame to allow different opening heights but all positions still prevent the window from being opened beyond that point.  

Another style of manufactured window pin does is installed in a similar manner but has no head like that of a nail. It is inserted in the same way, but because it has no head, it sits flush with the interior window's frame. Because there is nothing to grab to remove it a magnet is used to pull it out. The magnet is usually kept below the window sill hanging from a tack.

This is not what you'd want to have to deal with if there's a fire.