Comrie takes over land use committee chair

From The Real Deal:

On the eve of his first meeting as chair of the City Council's Land Use Committee, southeast Queens Council member Leroy Comrie spoke with The Real Deal about how he will judge success, whether he has laid out specific goals and which upcoming land use projects could be the most controversial. Comrie was voted in as chairman last Thursday and is scheduled to call his first committee meeting to order today at 10 a.m. with three rezonings and 11 landmarkings to consider.

Is there anything that you as land use chair can do to spur development?

I think development will happen in its own course and time. Development will happen when they have the ability to create the financing, and the property vision. The council can try outside the committee to create legislation, [but] there is nothing that we can do other than be a bully pulpit.

Well you could take giant campaign contributions from developers in return for pushing their agendas through, like your predecessor did. Thankfully Melinda Katz is gone. Don't be a Melinda, Leroy!