Image credit: New York City Council.

On December 21, 2022, the City Council voted to approve three bills that would improve transparency with the Parks Department’s capital projects process and utilize small or micro spaces that can be used for beneficial green space. All three bills were sponsored by Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Council Committee on Parks and Recreation. (more…)

The first info session for the “City of Yes” amendments was held on 10/17. The next session is today, 10/27. Image Credit: DCP.

On October 17, 2022, the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) held an online information session to discuss Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” initiatives. The “City of Yes” was first announced back in June and focuses on three key areas of reform: Carbon Neutrality, Economic Opportunity, and Housing Opportunity. The amendments highlight the mayor’s desire to move away from “Not in My Backyard,” or “NIMBY” policies that restrict the development of housing, place restrictions on small businesses and where they can operate, and limits to how green technology can be implemented. In his initial announcement, Mayor Adams said, “We are going to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes’ — yes in my backyard, yes on my block, yes in my neighborhood.” (more…)

Council Member Marjorie Velazquez speaks at the Subcommittee hearing for the Bruckner Sites Rezoning application. Image Credit: City Council.

Located in a low-density area with few affordable homes, the four proposed apartment buildings would require a controversial rezoning. On September 7, 2022, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing to discuss a proposed rezoning in Throggs Neck, Bronx. If the rezoning is approved by the City Council, developer Throggs Neck Associates, LLC will construct four mixed-use apartment buildings at four different sites off the Bruckner Expressway. The project area is bordered by Bruckner Expressway to the south, Crosby Avenue to the east, Balcom Avenue to the west, and Meyers Street to the north. (more…)

Image Credit: Office of the Mayor

Mayor Adams Addresses the Issue of Affordable Housing and Works Towards Building More Affordable Housing. On June 14, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams released Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, his administration’s plan to address New York City’s affordable housing crisis. The Blueprint discusses making the City a welcoming and homely place where people can stay and grow together as a family by creating housing that is available and affordable for people from all walks of life. The Blueprint speaks to five key housing pillars: (1) Transforming the New York City Housing Authority; (2) Addressing the Homelessness and Housing Instability; (3) Creating and Preserving Affordable Housing; (4) Improving the Health and Safety of New Yorkers; and (5) Reducing the Administrative Burden. (more…)

Hybrid hearings will allow members of the public to either attend public meetings in person or virtually. However, the state of emergency will keep meetings virtual for now. Image Credit: CityLand

Community boards often do not have the same resources as City agencies to have hybrid hearings. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many changes on how state and city governments conducted business, including public hearings. New York’s Open Meetings Law was originally designed to promote transparency, requiring hearings to be held in person and open to the public, with notice about how to participate. After meetings went virtual due to the pandemic, discussions began about how the open meetings law should better reflect modern circumstances. (more…)