Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Yes (not yes)

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AMNY

 

City Council members on Monday voiced several concerns over Mayor Eric Adams’ sweeping “City of Yes” zoning amendment designed to make it easier for Big Apple businesses to operate and expand.

Legislators grilled Department of City Planning (DCP) officials over certain components of the 18-point plan, known as the “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,” during a Monday hearing. The proceeding followed the City Planning Commission’s (CPC) approving the measure last month.

Dan Garodnick, who serves as both DCP commissioner and CPC chair, said the proposal is aimed at modernizing zoning rules that were written over 60 years ago, which he described as “too complex, restricted and outdated.” It seeks to fill the nearly 17,000 storefronts across the five boroughs, while allowing businesses to open and expand into spaces where they are not currently permitted.

“It will help revitalize commercial corridors, fill vacant storefronts and boost our economic recovery across the board,” the mayor said at a rally preceding the hearing.

Bronx City Council Member Kevin Riley, chair of the council’s Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee, said he is concerned the plan does not address the concentration of “last mile” large package distribution warehouses — utilized by e-commerce companies like Amazon — in some corners of the city. The problem is particularly acute in areas like Red Hook, Brooklyn, and Hunts Point in the Bronx, Riley said.

“The city needs to rethink comprehensively how packages are being delivered to our homes and the concentration of large packaging warehouses in certain neighborhoods,” Riley said. 

The council member also raised the alarm about the city Department of Buildings’ (DOB) ability to enforce the rule changes with its current resources and staffing levels.

“The Department of Buildings does not have the needed staff or resources to address violations of the zoning resolution,” he added. “The administration needs to pledge to increase DOB’s resources so that our quality of life concerns that our communities are rightfully raising are fully addressed.”

The plan would allow “clean manufacturing” — like 3-D printers and jewelry makers — to operate in commercial districts, make it so more businesses can operate on upper floors of buildings and authorize new corner businesses like bodegas to open in residential zones. Additionally, the changes would clear the way for life sciences labs to open near hospitals and allow for activities like dancing that are currently barred in some commercial zones.

Council Member Alexa Aviles (D-Brooklyn) who represents Red Hook, said there was a “full omission” of proposals to address the concentration of last mile facilities in the plan.

“We know the climate impacts, the polluting impacts, the thousands of additional diesel trucks in our community and yet no portion of this has addressed that in earnest,” Aviles said, referring to the pollution from trucks picking up packages from the facilities.

Garodnick said regulating the facilities is a “challenging topic,” but noted that zoning changes might not be the best way to address what is partially a transportation issue.

“We can certainly commit to turning over all land use possibilities [and] working with our partners at the city and state,” he said. “You have my commitment to continue to work with you on that.”

City Hall spokesperson William Fowler later insisted, in a statement, that adding a requirement for companies to seek a “special permit” for citing last-mile warehouses, as Aviles seeks to do, would be out of the legal scope of the plan.

“While we urge the City Council to adopt ‘City of Yes for Economic Opportunity’ as we continue to craft policy for last-mile warehouses and logistics in New York City more broadly, a special permit is not legally allowed to be added to the proposal,” Fowler said.

In a separate line of questioning, Council Member Lynn Schulmann (D-Queens), asked how DOB will manage enforcing the zoning changes with limited staff and resources. Garodnick insisted that the zoning changes will actually lighten the workload for DOB enforcers by “clarifying” the rules.

“This proposal is designed to make it easier for them to read, respond to and enforce the rules that we’re putting on the books,” Garodnick said. 

 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Political Homeless said...

“Dems Are More Dangerous Than Republicans & Here’s Why!” – Matt Taibbi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0nUzhp1urg

Anonymous said...

Do all these Dems truly believe in communism ?

Anonymous said...

What they know about economics could fit on the head of a pin as well as their grasp on reality.


Anonymous said...

Will all the one and two family homes will be destroyed and replaced with barracks ?

Anonymous said...

It didn’t backfire. It’s all according to the plan.

Ned said...

""It will help revitalize commercial corridors""

Haa, Haa, Haa bullshit!
1-The people in those areas have no more money for retail.
2-The reason those storefronts are empty is because no intelligent person is going to invest only to have retail theft and robbery is this lawless city.
The only businesses that may do well are marijuana shacks, whorehouses, cheap alcohol, fried chicken & lottery ticket dispensary's.
For example, Take a walk down Jamaica ave, Roosevelt ave or any street in Fordham Bronx at night, wear your flack vest and knife proof butchers steel link gloves...especially if your a white person.
McDonalds even had to close shop due to uncontrolled violence, bullets flying, fights, homeless and people who don't want to pay.
The White Castle, Harbor Freight, Pep Boys Auto parts & Pizza huts and 20+ dozen others are next! Retail flight is already starting on Myrtle ave in Ridgewood.
No new laws and relaxation of zoning needed. Plenty of large retail lots will be available soon and good luck finding suckers for them.
This mayor is sick & completely delusional

-Ned
www.nra.org

Anonymous said...

New York is a disaster of incompetence.

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