The City Council is set to discuss a package of bills Wednesday that would make it harder for property owners to bend the city's zoning laws, as they typically request in order to building bigger projects than would normally be allowed.
The 10 bills target the Board of Standards and Appeals, an obscure city body where owners argue that it is impossible to make a reasonable return developing a property without surpassing limits on things like the size and shape of buildings. A property might be oddly shaped, for example, preventing projects that conform to the zoning and are big enough to justify the investment. In order to make the economics pencil out, an owner might ask the board to relax height restrictions so more revenue-generating apartments could fit on the site.
According to the Manhattan councilman sponsoring five of the bills—which are to be heard Wednesday by the Committee on Governmental Operations—the board is persuaded too frequently. In 2011, it approved 97% of applications, many of which were opposed by local community boards.
4 comments:
Lots of luck.
This is just a big show on the part of some council members.
REBNY runs NYC and pays for the election campaigns of most council members.
The BSA is REBNY's right arm.
REBNY's job is chief zoning buster.
How many projects has BSA passed that was contrary to the zoning code of your residential neighborhood?
Councilman Paul Vallone is a developers' lobbyist and the scourge of the fine northeast neighborhoods that he is supposed to be representing.
Dump this entitled REBNY stooge or watch your quality of life deteriorate.
The City Council is looking for a way to parlay this situation into a return of their position with rewarding campaign contributions...
Believe it when I see it
I also expect to win big on mega bucks!
What a phony move. It will never pass. Most city pol's are partnered with the BSA through their developer supporters.
Paul Vallone, for example.
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