The City Council’s second most-powerful lawmaker would like to loosen City Hall’s grip over the panel that considers construction and renovation proposals that fall outside zoning regulations.
Deputy Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is looking to dilute the mayor’s influence at the city Board of Standards and Appeals by tripling the number of commissioners and doling out appointments to elected officials in the five boroughs.
The councilman has proposed a trio of bills aimed at democratizing the BSA, which considers applications for special permits and waivers of certain zoning requirements. The board is currently made up of five mayoral appointees.
Van Bramer would have that number expanded to 16 members, giving five appointments to the Council and each of the borough presidents and one pick to the city public advocate’s office.
The western Queens lawmaker’s proposals would also give the Council confirmation authority over the mayor’s picks and require the board to codify rules for considering community input.
Van Bramer said he put the reform package together with the hope of giving local residents more of a say when it comes to out-of-character development.
So he wants to rein in the BSA by making it larger? And adding members that are chosen by the Council? What's the difference? It will still be a developer's dream. I like the thought of abolishing it better.
7 comments:
Of course it's BS, when has a progressive every done something honest and forthcoming, when have they ever done anything that doesn't increase their net worth?
Final variations approval should be left to elected officials like the Borough President, with an input from the Community Boards, not to BSA whose members are connected to the developers and do not know how to say no variation."
I guess there just isn't enough bribe money in his Cayman account.
How much do greedy motherfuckers need before they stop fucking up Queens?
Something sounds fishy. I totally agree on the community having more say on development but this plan doesn't sound like it will.
Pick a) or b):
a) This is being proposed to help City residents
b) This is being proposed to help Van Bramer
Aren't there other issues to work on? Crime? City services? Transit? Education? Why concentrate on something complex and obscure that peolpe don't care about, but might actually help Van Bramer in some way? Wait, I think we're on to something......
Watch out for backstabber Van Bramer. He's in it only for what's good for him and his future political climb up the ladder.
After the end of his second term (which couldn't come too soon) maybe he'd like an appointment to the BSA!
This is the same guy who took $10,500 from the Wolkoff family whom he also voted to support a BSA zoning variance to develop the 5 Pointz site in LIC. which Jerry Wolkoff owns.
Van Bramer wants to become mayor some say.
Mark my words!
Jimmy boy will screw anyone that gets in his way to the "catbird seat" and he's got plenty of political experience there.
Van Bramer is a developer's bitch. He'll bend over backwards to get their campaign contributions.
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