Friday, May 29, 2009

Zoning does not = city planning

From the Gotham Gazette:

Amanda Burden, chairperson of the New York City Planning Commission, boasts that since 2002, the city has completed a record 94 rezonings, creating the most sweeping revision of land use regulations throughout the city's five boroughs since the Zoning Resolution was rewritten in 1961. This massive rezoning effort supports the development priorities of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in 2007 introduced PlaNYC2030, a long-term plan to incorporate almost 1 million more residents by the year 2030.

The city's rezoning frenzy, though, highlights two fundamental problems with its approach to our neighborhoods. One is that the zoning is not based on any comprehensive review of community needs and priorities or any long-range planning. In other words, it's zoning without a plan.

The second and related problem is that, while the rezonings mainly create short-term opportunities for real estate development in neighborhoods where there is intense speculation, the city's planners falsely promote them as being aimed at preservation. In the endless succession of community meetings that go into the rezonings, the city's experts offer colorful slide presentations and discourses on technical details in an effort -- often successful -- to obscure matters. In fact, though, these rezonings are scams.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

ogni-has-been needs to give it up. He materializes out of thin air threatening to sue the city. However, he has a "good relationship" with the mayor. All lies.

Ogni-has-been needs to quite and stop embarassing himself.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, in NYC zoning IS planning. Just ask DCP.

Anonymous said...

Filling a 5 lb. sack with 10 lbs of crap!

PizzaBagel said...

Bloomberg doesn't have a plan for NYC in 2030, just a "pla," as evidenced by its name (PlaNYC2030).

But seriously, this story hits the nail squarely and forcefully on the head. This "rezoning" is just an excuse to bring in maximum development, regardless whether the neighborhood needs or wants it, and whether the infrastructure can handle it -- usually no for all three. But build we must. That's the Bloomberg Way, as it has been from Day One.

Anonymous said...

Bloomberger the omnipotent sociopath, YOU are a disgrace. This little fool doesnt need to listen to anybody at a meeting! He projects what he is onto his critics.
He'll just fix the vote I would imagine with his dictator powerhouse attitude, and it wouldn't be the first time thats happened in this country.
This guy doesn't understand democracy and open engagement obviously. Should I be surprised more NYC residents dont get that by now? No one jabs this guy with questions and jokes unless its a dinner at the Waldorf Astoria.
There needs to be more published info of alll his corrupt activities from the last 8 to 10 years all over the place.

Suzannah B. Troy said...

Socialite mega millionaire city planner Amanda Burden is going to go down in history as a rich girl that destroyed the soul of NYC for her rich friends.

If I had known her and Mike's goal to make the East Village Lower East Side and Bowery look like a bad xerox of mid town I would have voted against Bloomberg. Her good friends, the owner of the new york times and Mort Zuckerman published puff pieces on her being, really a blatant lie saying she retained the character of the neighborhood which insults the people of NYC yet again because we all have witnessed what she has done. Cooper Union got away with murder again thanks to Amanda Burden and I believe is endangering our community with their massive out of zone builds by the rotted subway stations by the black cube Astor Place.

Suzannah B. Troy said...

Socialite mega millionaire city planner Amanda Burden is going to go down in history as a rich girl that destroyed the soul of NYC for her rich friends.

If I had known her and Mike's goal to make the East Village Lower East Side and Bowery look like a bad xerox of mid town I would have voted against Bloomberg. Her good friends, the owner of the new york times and Mort Zuckerman published puff pieces on her being, really a blatant lie saying she retained the character of the neighborhood which insults the people of NYC yet again because we all have witnessed what she has done. Cooper Union got away with murder again thanks to Amanda Burden and I believe is endangering our community with their massive out of zone builds by the rotted subway stations by the black cube Astor Place.

Anonymous said...

Agreed:rezoning is a scam. It tricks homeowners and neighborhoods; lulls them into a blissful ignorance of what is really going on. All sound and fury; a shell game; a con. Money is changing hands folks. Big bucks.Guaranteed. Every parcel of land in NYC has been gone over with a fine-tooth comb, with the collusion of city agencies and developers. ScamPlaNYC is in effect.

Anonymous said...

lmao, liz crowley kiss ass worker Sleeper go find somethings else to do but insult Ognibene. Your girl did shit for us in Maspeth and now she's going to lose her seat. What has she done for us?? oh you can keep blaming it on others but she gave us a high school with contaminated grounds which now will be vent into our air. So get ready loser to find a new job.

linda said...

wow hello does anyone get it, bloomberg has a "special interest" with all the zoning and the developers. If someone actually looked into all of his investments I'm sure shit would come out. How does this man get so rich working for $1.00, lmao, because this is how he gets paid back. He's on yahoo as the richest person in his city, hello. They all lined their pockets with developers and i would think that's breaking some law and trust of the city. Domain is being abused the most while this ass is in office, why is that?? wants to clean up college point, yeah bet ya he'll have a "special interest" in a condo or hotel that goes up. wake up everyone.

Anonymous said...

"PlaNYC2030" is nothing more than a thinly veiled job security program for the real estate development industry!

It'll keep those wealthy movers and shakers flush while it screws the middle class...which Bloomberg hopes will exit NYC!

THAT'S BLOOMBERG'S REAL INTENT!

The city will never see an additional one million increase in its population.

Mike's just blowing smoke up all our asaes!

Robert Moses' massive 1961 upzoning
was imposed to accommodate a supposed one million new residents
flocking to NYC....THAT NEVER CAME!

This is just a repackaged redux of
King Moses' plan by Emperor Bloomberg!

Anonymous said...

Yeah....as they shove the upzoning down your throats in the guise of relieving the pressure on your inner blocks!!

Anonymous said...

I'll have to agree with the idea that rezoning is a scam.

Rezoning is just another way of shutting people up - for a while.

DCP knows that builders can appeal to the BSA and get their variance. So what's the point?

It's time to vote rich, unempathetic, indebted to real estate developers politicians out of their offices. They will never have your "interests" at heart. They can't. They sold their soul to the devil.

That's what makes Tony Avella so rare. His colleagues are likely so jealous of him because he got elected TWICE and would probably get elected again, all without the help of scuzbag developers.
Prospective politicians should take lessons from HIM on how to be honest and hard-working for the people they represent.

Unknown said...

Where are all these people suppose to work?? Park?? School?? etc....

Just plan stupid!

Anonymous said...

Caveat...what the city down-zones today can be up-zoned tomorrow!

(Or...that oughta' hold 'em for awhile until Mike gets re-elected)!