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By: Ilana Siyance
New York City Council Members are unenthused about the next phase of Mayor Eric Adam’s “City of Yes” plan to add thousands of apartments to the East Bronx.
As reported by the NY Post, city lawmakers raised a red flag last week about the plan griping that the selected area lacks crucial infrastructure. Adams’ landmark Bronx Metro-North Neighborhood Plan aims to add 7,500 new homes alongside four new rail stops in Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-Op City. The critics, however, complain that the 46-block stretch along the Metro-North train line is not suitable to be revitalized, because it has not nearly enough sewers, schools, police, or firefighters to handle such a large influx of new residents.
“The Bronx does need more housing, but housing alone is not sufficient,” local Council Member Kevin Riley (D) flatly said during a hearing at City Hall last week. “If you are going to bring more people into a neighborhood, you are going to need to improve existing infrastructure to address the frequent flooding from storms that we are experiencing, more park spaces, schools, and increased funding for our fire and police stations,” said Riley, who chairs the Zoning and Franchises Committee.
Per the Post, the initiative was Adams’ key first-term policy, aiming to amend 60-year-old zoning regulations to help with the city’s dire housing crisis. Over the next 15 years, the five-borough revamping could add over 100,000 new homes to New York City, per City Hall estimates. The rezoning overhaul could eliminate parking mandates for new housing projects, allow more office-to-residential conversions, and allow developers to build 20% more if they include affordable housing units in their buildings. Though nearly every politician in the city and state agrees that the housing crisis is a major concern, council members nevertheless warn that the mayor’s plan is moving too fast.
Queens Council Member Vickie Paladino (R) told the City Planning Commission the changes were being “pushed through like a freight train.” “Do a pilot program. Experiment first, or yank it for now, because this city is not ready for the ‘City of Yes’ just yet,” Paladino said. She was one of more than 200 people who showed up to speak at a public hearing on the proposal rezoning last Wednesday, which ended up dragging on till the early morning hours the following day. Paladino said the community boards in her northeast Queens mostly suburban district have “vigorously” voted against the plan. In fact, so far, 35 community boards have voted against the proposal, with only 15 voting in favor as yet, according to a tally by The Real Deal.
Critics have complained that the plan favors big developers and will change the character of well-established neighborhoods. Queens Council Member Joann Ariola (R) called the massive initiative an “unmitigated disaster.” “It opens the door for large developers to trample upon small businesses and homeowners and would turn the city into a place where only the interests of those who had the money to build and self-serve their own interests, while other community members like mom and pop shops would see their voices suddenly suppressed,” Ariola said.
Adams administration officials said they were “grateful” for all the feedback. “The City Planning Commission takes the public feedback we’ve received seriously – testimony from the hearing, recommendations from community boards and borough presidents, and input from stakeholders across the city,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.
