Monday, February 8, 2016

Zoning votes approaching; lobbying ramped up

From The Forum:

The MIH hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 9:30 a.m. in Council Chambers. The ZQA hearing is the following day, at the same time and place.

Testimony can be delivered at the hearing or submitted electronically: correspondence@council.nyc.gov.


From Gotham Gazette:

Community advocates are making it clear that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to rezone neighborhoods are not acceptable unless they include broader economic development initiatives like local hiring.

As part of his ambitious affordable housing plan, de Blasio has announced several communities the city plans to rezone first in an effort to create more density, build affordable units, and improve neighborhoods. When the mayor initially announced the start of the rezoning process, the blowback was severe. In East New York, which is slated to be the first area rezoned among 15 neighborhoods across the city, residents cried foul that the process involved limited community input, failed to consider local needs, and could lead to wide-scale displacement.

Residents and groups all over the city are concerned that new residential development and other aspects of neighborhood improvement will lead to rapid gentrification and displacement of current residents. Good employment opportunities for those locals can help avoid such pitfalls.


From Capital New York:

As Mayor Bill de Blasio's controversial housing plans come before the City Council this week, his union allies are joining forces with the AARP and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to form an organization that will push for the mayor's proposals.

The group, United For Affordable NYC, is being incorporated with city and state agencies as a 501(c)4, lead strategist Neal Kwatra told POLITICO New York.

The four founding unions are the Hotel Trades Council, health care workers union 1199 SEIU, building service employees' 32BJ SEIU and District Council 37 — the largest municipal labor organization in the city.

The fund-raising organization will begin with a seed grant from some of its members and the mayor's other 501(c)4, Campaign for One New York, according to a source familiar with the effort who would only speak on background. The donors have made a six-figure commitment for the initial grant, but the details are still being worked out, the source added.


From the Daily News:

The City Council’s progressive caucus is pushing for changes to Mayor de Blasio’s ambitious but controversial affordable-housing plan.

Apartments should be offered for people making less than the average 60% of area median income — $46,620 for a family of three — currently targeted in the plan, says the 18-member group, which represents about a third of the Council.

The caucus says developers should be discouraged from putting their affordable apartments at a different site — which they say worsens segregation — by requiring 40% affordable housing if they take that option, rather than 25%-30% if they don’t.

It also wants to reduce from 10 units to six the size where a building is exempt from affordable mandates and require half the units to be affordable when manufacturing zones are turned residential.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just because de Bllasio has a "person of color" wife does not mean he is sympathetic to "people of color".
Der Wilhelm is two faced. This is a move to rapidly gentrify and release extremely valuable real estate for development. There might be some token affordable housing thrown in, but REBNY wants those "people of color" out so they can be replaced with high earning yuppies who will pay for the luxury housing that is sure to be built in these newly upzoned nabes.
Another replay of the old tune, "urban renewal...Black removal".
REBNY is the mayor's slave master. He needs their dollars to get re-elected. He took them , gladly, to be elected in the first place.

Anonymous said...

de Blasio is going to tell the City Council: "You guys need to support this rezoning plan or else I will not sign your 32% salaries increase bill into law."

(sarc) said...

Lobbyists working hard for their income.

At least there are a few hardworking people left.

Somebody has to earn a decent salary to support the rest...

El Fuckin' Fed Up said...

I hang out in the lobby of my tenement to wait and try to catch my super early and lobby him into fixing my toilet.
I only have a half bottle of Henessy to bribe him with, and maybe five bucks.
One of his workers spots me and calls the cops because there's a suspicious character hanging out.
These politically connected lawyers hang around and lobby all day at city hall or up in Albany and lobby for the landlord who owns my building and get paid damn good money.

Anonymous said...

Notice that AARP, the lefty organization supposedly looking out for older people, joined right in on this charade. They also jumped right in on supporting Obamacare, because it would direct older people toward a Medicare supplement that paid AARP royalties. That is why I tore up every missive received from AARP, unopened, and tossed them. AARP finally got the idea that I was on to their scam.

Anonymous said...

De Blas cannot pass this.

Your Queens Councilman will.

Funny there is almost no mention about that or postings about people calling their councilman to give him a piece of your mind.

It so easy to kick a straw dummy rather than have the balls to confront your local bully.

Anonymous said...

Giving my councilman, Paul Valllone, a piece of my mind would still not give him enough brains to make up for the little he has.
This one is the dumbest of the Vallone siblings. He's on REBNY's pad anyway. The want the rezoning. It benefits them in the end.

Flushing north resident. said...

Our councilman Vallone only listens to his real estate clients. He goes tone deaf where his constituents are concerned.

Anonymous said...

Vote ALL the incumbents out!
Flush the toilet and watch them go down the drain.
Who else do you think has been stinking up the place for too damn long?
And , of course, "Stinky" Vallone must go.

(sarc) said...

Initially we were so happy to see Mayor Bloomberg go...