[UPDATE] Council Looks to Amend Third-Party Delivery Service Bills to Address Proper Timeframe

Small Business hearings takes dire tone. On August 13, 2020, the City Council Committee on Small Business held a remote public hearing, on three bills that would cumulatively limit third-party food delivery services and require the Department of Small Business Services to create reports on COVID-19 related small business grants and loans. Beyond the three bills, the hearing also delved into the state of small business in the City and potential action to alleviate stresses … <Read More>


Comptroller Stringer Releases Plan to Address City’s Affordable Housing Problems

Universal Affordable Housing would require 25 percent permanently low-income affordable housing in all new development with ten or more units. On January 29, 2020, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced a citywide housing strategy to fundamentally realign the City’s approach to the housing crisis. The strategy, coined Housing We Need, will include a universal requirement for 25 percent permanently low-income affordable housing in all as-of-right developments with at least ten units.


City Planning Announces Updates to Zap Tool

City Planning continues to improve online platforms to involve and inform community. On December 17, 2019, the Department of City Planning announced two updates to the Zoning Application Portal (“ZAP”). The first update will allow Community Boards, Borough Presidents and Borough Boards to digitally calendar public hearings for land use items. The second update permits Community Boards and Borough Presidents to instantaneously upload their recommendations to the online portal. These two features are intended to … <Read More>


Mayor and Elected Officials Reach Agreement on East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

The agreement was announced two days before the City Council’s approval of the project’s land use applications. On November 12, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Member Margaret Chin, and Council Member Keith Powers reached an agreement on community investments and commitments relating to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The agreement addresses the concerns raised by local elected officials and the community … <Read More>


City Planning Creates Digital Platform for City’s Ten-Year Capital Strategy

City continues to increase accessibility to information with online capital budget platform. On October 7, 2019, the Department of City Planning announced the launch of the City’s first digital version of the Ten-Year Capital Strategy. Produced with the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, the new platform highlights the goals, policies, constraints, assumptions and criteria used to assess the City’s capital needs. The platform also lays out anticipated sources of funding. This interactive version of … <Read More>


Council Subcommittee Approves Phased Construction Plan for East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

Despite the project’s phased construction schedule, concerns with the project still exist among elected officials and community members. On November 4, 2019, the City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Dispositions approved two land use applications for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The Project will include a system of floodgates and walls along the project area, sewage improvements, and will elevate East River Park … <Read More>