Defying the de Blasio administration, the City Council passed a resolution today to support a major Queens development in court.
The City Council voted overwhelmingly to attach an amicus brief reaffirming its approval of a 2013 plan to redevelop Willets Point, Queens. Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat the liberal-leaning Council typically sides with, chose not to stand with the pair of developers after an appeals court ruled earlier this summer that the $3 billion project illegally gobbles up city parkland. The developers, Related Companies and Sterling Equities, challenged the ruling, and won a victory in November when the state’s highest court opted to consider the appeal.
But at least one Queens city councilman disagreed. Councilman Rory Lancman broke with the Queens Democratic establishment to vote down the resolution, agreeing with the rationale of the lower court that the parkland near Citi Field could not be alienated without approval from the State Legislature. He also said the Council didn’t have to be bound by Bloomberg era terms.
‘The intermediary appellate court has found, correctly in my view, that using the land in question for a shopping mall would improperly alienate parkland without the authorization of the state—an important safeguard against the permanent giveaway of cherished public spaces for minimal public benefit,” Mr. Lancman said.
10 comments:
How did Dizzy Lizzy and Baldy Paulie vote?
Yeah How Did They vote? In a truly transparent administration city council votes would appear on an easily accessible website. Try to find the voting records of any council member... But bring a pot of coffee and some tranquilizers...
Who else had the courage to vote "no?"
Vallone voted no.
Grodenchik abstained.
When did Vallone grow a pair of balls?
Here's a link to the City Council's online record of this resolution:
http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2536146&GUID=6AD88CD5-837A-47C8-AA43-A30D737FDA79
Grodenchik is a weenie
So is the council supporting the mall on parkland? I hope not.
I was at a rally about this in 2014 outside the Citi Field gate. The Mets security called the cops. Ironically the security staff were on the part of the Mets parking lot that is actually public parkland. I don't think that the police said we had tp leave. We were just holding signs and listening to the few decent officials our area has left.
What's wrong with our city council members? Who besides Bloomberg and his billionaire buddies ever thought this was a good idea? Just look at the grid lock there is now at Roosevelt Ave. and College Point Blvd. with all the big stores, apartments and hotels that have sprung up, and this is just the beginning. Then look at the grid lock when there's a Met's game or the US Open or any other large event. Does it make good business sense to compete with all the other malls in the area and does it make sense for our elected officials to be giving away our parkland?
Wake up people, the Met's owners say they don't need the parking lot. Well sure they don't need it with all the other parking lots there is already in Flushing Meadow Park plus all the green spaces that have been black topped over in recent years to accommodate more cars and don't forget all the cars, busses and police vehicles that park all over the grass.
This mall will only benefit the developers and the elected officials that will get money for special projects in their district and the taxpayers and park goers are getting screwed.We the people are being sold out.
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