Subcommittee Criticizes City’s Lack of Planning at Lambert Houses [UPDATE: City Council Approves with Modifications]

UPDATE: On November 29, 2016, the City Council voted 49-0 to approve the Lambert Houses application with modification. The approved application now includes the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing option with deep affordability—half of the apartments will now be affordable for those making 30 percent or less of the average median income. The City has committed $12.3 million for infrastructure improvements in the West Farms area, including the construction of two new schools in the area—adding at … <Read More>


CityLaw Profile: Arthur Leonard, Professor, Author, Editor, Chronicler, Composer, Bassist

Arthur Leonard for 40 years has been one of the most important and most-read chronicler of the LGBT rights movement. In 1979, as the founder and president of the City’s Gay Lawyers Association Leonard began reporting judicial decisions involving LGBT rights and slipping them in the monthly mailer—this was the start of LGBT Law Notes. Originally a two-sided photocopied sheet of paper, LGBT Law Notes is now a monthly newsletter with a circulation of thousands. … <Read More>


City Council Subcommittee Chided EDC over Downtown Brooklyn Development [UPDATE: Committee Approves Application With Conditions]

Subcommittee raised concerns about the aggregate effect the mass development of Downtown Brooklyn will have on school resources. On October 5, 2016, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises heard testimony on an application to construct a new 49-story mixed-use building at 141 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The site is a triangular-shaped zoning lot bounded by Flatbush Avenue Extension, Willoughby Street and Gold Street. Currently the space is occupied by a three-story private … <Read More>


Overhaul of Rent Subsidy Program to Fix New York State Homelessness; Save Hundreds of Millions

State Assemblymember may have answer to finally reverse the homelessness trend. Recently, the de Blasio Administration heralded that its efforts to prevent homelessness in New York City have had some success. On September 29, 2016, City Hall announced that thanks to its “unprecedented array of programs” some 7,000 New Yorkers were able to avoid the City’s shelter system. The Department of Homeless Services now shelters 60,000 instead of the projected 67,000 (the projection was largely … <Read More>


Land Use Committee Hears Testimony on Proposed Capital Commitment Tracking System

The proposed system would keep track of the financial and infrastructure-related promises made by the Mayor’s office to neighborhoods being rezoned.  On June 7, 2016, the City Council Committee on Land Use held a public hearing on a legislative proposal to implement a tracking system, which would monitor the status of promises made to the public by the Administration  during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process. The proposed bill, Intro 1132, is sponsored by … <Read More>


BSA Conditionally Approves Variance for Addition of Gymnasium and Play Roof to The Chapin School

In response to neighborhood concerns, the Board conditioned the zoning variance on several limitations meant to reduce the risk of excess noise and increase pedestrian safety. On October 16, 2016, the Board of Standards and Appeals approved with conditions a request by The Chapin School, Ltd. for a zoning variance to construct a three-story addition to its existing school, located at 100 East End Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  The Chapin School, … <Read More>