Council examines City Charter’s fair share rules

Council held first oversight hearing on criteria established more than twenty years ago to ensure equitable distribution of public facilities. On April 12, 2011, the City Council’s Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses Subcommittee held the Council’s first oversight hearing to review the City’s Charter-mandated rules established to foster the equitable distribution of City facilities. Following the 1989 revision of the City Charter, the City Planning Commission promulgated the “fair share” criteria to encourage community … <Read More>


City Council considers impact of Wal-Mart

Concerns about how big-box retailer would affect small businesses dominated hearing. On February 3, 2011, the City Council’s Community Development Committee, Small Business Committee, and Economic Development Committee held a joint oversight hearing to debate Wal- Mart’s impact on the local community if the big-box retailer opened a store in the City. The Council convened the hearing in response to Wal-Mart’s renewed campaign to open a store in the City. Community opposition caused Wal-Mart to … <Read More>


Council Member Jessica Lappin on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Site Safety

Council Member Jessica Lappin represents Community District 5 in Manhattan, which includes parts of Midtown and the Upper East Side. She also chairs the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses. A New York native and graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Georgetown University, Lappin was raised in a landmarked house in Gramercy Park. Well-regarded by preservation advocates, she has garnered accolades from the Friends of the Upper East Side and the Historic … <Read More>


Commission Approves a Modified Willets Point Plan

 

Eminent domain supported if negotiations with local businesses fail. On September 24, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved a modified version of the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan, and sent the contentious plan to the City Council. EDC’s plan calls for the creation of the Special Willets Point District, an Urban Renewal Area designation, and a rezoning for the 61-acre area known as the “Iron Triangle” in Queens. 5 CityLand 57 (May 15, 2008).

The … <Read More>


Contentious testimony on EDC’s Willets Point Plan

Concerns over eminent domain dominate hearing. On November 29, 2007, the City Council’s committees on Land Use and Economic Development held their second oversight hearing on New York City Economic Development Corporation’s proposal to redevelop 61 acres of Willets Point in Queens. The site, located directly east of Shea Stadium, largely consists of a range of auto-related, light industrial and manufacturing private businesses. EDC seeks to acquire the entire area and create an urban renewal … <Read More>


Council Hears Testimony on Willets Point Proposal

Concerns over displacement of businesses dominated hearing. On June 13, 2007, the City Council’s Land Use Committee and its Economic Development Committee held a joint oversight hearing on the proposal by New York City’s Economic Development Corporation to redevelop 61 acres of Willets Point in Queens. The site, located directly east of Shea Stadium, is mostly privately owned and currently home to a mix of automobile related, light industrial and manufacturing businesses. EDC estimates that … <Read More>