Image Credit: City Planning Commission

The latest move in his “City of Yes” campaign, Adams has nominated career land-use experts Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, David Gold, and Chris Yoon to high-ranking administrative roles. On June 15, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams nominated Rasmia Kirmani-Frye and David Gold to serve on the City Planning Commission and Chris Yoon to serve on the Board of Standards and Appeals. These nominations will now move forward to City Council for an official vote. If City Council approves, Kirmani-Frye and Gold will serve five-year terms on City Planning while Yoon will serve a six-year term with BSA. (more…)

Image Credit: NYC DOT.

The zoning text amendment now moves on to City Council for approval. On November 15, 2021, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the Permanent Open Restaurants Program zoning text amendment in a special public hearing. The proposed Permanent Open Restaurants program will transfer the control of sidewalk cafes to the Department of Transportation from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (formerly Consumer Affairs) and aims to create a more streamlined approval process for sidewalk cafes.  (more…)

Image of current districts under the FRESH program. One of the Mayor’s proposed zoning amendments will expand the FRESH program in outer boroughs. Image Credit: NYC DCP

Commissioners raised concerns about the removal of special permits as a way to vet out illegitimate massage parlors. On October 20, 2021, the City Planning Commission voted to approve two applications proposed by the City to support small businesses and promote healthy food options and fitness. The two applications, the FRESH Program Expansion and the Health and Fitness Text Amendment, were part of a series of zoning proposals proposed earlier this year.  (more…)

Anita Laremont. Image Credit: NYC Department of City Planning.

Laremont has worked with the Department of City Planning since 2014. On September 23, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Anita Laremont will serve as the next Chair of the City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning. The appointment is effective immediately, and Chair Laremont succeeds outgoing Chair Marisa Lago, who will be joining the U.S. Department of Commerce after being selected by the Biden Administration.  (more…)

CPC Chair Marisa Lago speaks during the August 3rd Review Session, the CPC’s first meeting in months. Image Credit: CPC

The full ULURP process will resume on September 14th. On August 3, 2020, the City Planning Commission resumed hearings for the first time since March 16th. Hearings had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order halting the ULURP process which allowed the City Planning Commission to cancel its meetings. While other agencies started resuming public hearings virtually in June and July, the City Planning Commission has been a notable holdout until now. For CityLand’s prior coverage of the COVID-19 impact on the ULURP process, click here.  (more…)