Facade scaffolds, sometimes known as "sidewalk sheds," often feel as omnipresent as yellow cabs or skyscrapers in Manhattan.

They've long been a thorn in the side of many New Yorkers, who consider them eyesores that take up much-needed sidewalk space.

During an appearance on "Mornings On 1" Tuesday, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine outlined a series of proposals he believes would help address the problem.

The borough president last week released a report focused on eight of the oldest sidewalk sheds in Manhattan, five of which have been up for 10 or more years.

Last year, meanwhile, his office unveiled a plan aimed at bringing scaffolding down more quickly.

The city's Local Law 11 requires the owners of buildings taller than six stories to have their exterior walls inspected every five years. If a building is deemed unsafe, its owner is required to install protective scaffolding to keep pedestrians safe as repairs are conducted.

Landlords, however, often find it more cost-efficient to leave scaffolds up for extended periods of time than pay to have their buildings repaired, Levine said.

"This is a great idea that's run totally amok. Of course, if you have a loose brick on the facade, you want to build scaffolding to protect pedestrians. The idea is that then you fix the facade, and take down the scaffolding," he said.

A package of legislation Levine pushed for last year would fine building owners who don't carry out work in a timely manner, improve scaffolding design and in some cases, allow for netting instead of scaffolding.

The package includes a bill that would allow drones to be used during building inspections, something Levine on Tuesday said could ensure problems are detected before scaffolding is needed.

"We have bills in the City Council with great partners like Councilmember Keith Powers that would help rein this in. I'm hoping we'll have a hearing soon on that," he said. "The mayor said that he supports many of these initiatives, so the political will is there."