Members of public protesting proposed Manhattan facility. Image Credit: John McCarten/City Council
Council received extensive testimony and differing perspectives on Borough Based Jails. On September 5, 2019, City Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses held a public hearing regarding the City’s application to close Rikers Island and create a Borough Based Jail System. The proposed sites are 124-125 White Street in Manhattan, 745 East 141St Street in the Bronx, 126-02 82nd Avenue in Queens and at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
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Jason Aldofo Otaño, General Counsel for the New York City Council.
Jason Adolfo Otaño, the General Counsel for the New York City Council, was born to Puerto Rican parents and grew up in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn. Otaño’s father was a City firefighter for 28 years, his mother a paraprofessional for the Department of Education, and his uncle a captain for the Department of Corrections. (more…)
Image credit: New York City Office of the Comptroller
On April 2018, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer issued a report on the impact of Airbnb on City rents. The report looked at how the home-sharing company impacted rent in the City over the period of 2009 to 2016. The report found that rental rates increases during this time period can be attributed to Airbnb. (more…)
Image credit: Jeff Hopkins.
New York City changed the rules on the enforcement of low-level crimes when, on June 13, 2017, the Council-passed Criminal Justice Reform Act became effective. The new local law adds a new civil summons in lieu of issuing a criminal summons returnable in criminal court. (more…)
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer. Image credit: Office of the New York City Comptroller
Comptroller’s audit finds that the City has fallen substantially short in its duty of overseeing Privately Owned Public Space agreements, including agreements with Trump Tower, Trump International Hotel, and Trump Plaza. On April 18, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of how adequately the City oversees Privately Owned Public Space agreements with developers and building owners. Privately Owned Public Space agreements are created by developers in exchange for the City allowing the developer to construct taller and denser buildings than would otherwise be allowed by zoning regulations. The agreements create outdoor or indoor spaces that are required to be open for public use and maintained by the developers and owners of private buildings. Currently there are 333 Privately Owned Public Spaces in New York City, totaling 23 million square feet of additional floor area allowed in exchange for the space. To read a previously published CityLand Commentary on Privately Owned Public Spaces, click here. (more…)
