The drive to enshrine Mayor Eric Adams’ ambitious “City of Yes” housing plan into policy presses on as it cleared a significant hurdle with the City Planning Commission’s 10-3 vote in favor. Advocates of the proposal, which seeks transformative changes to New York’s zoning regulations and the creation of new housing to address affordability issues, are launching an all-out campaign to rally public support ahead of the City Council’s decisive vote, planned for December 5. But as the maelstrom of contention simmers among community members, councilmembers warily eye the calendar with the land use committee’s vote looming this Thursday, asGothamistreported.
Opposition has anchored its criticism in a variety of concerns; the plan’s elimination of parking mandates has been notably controversial, as it clashes with the interests of residents in transit-poor zones, current rules regarding new construction projects necessitate the inclusion of off-street parking. The pushback extends to fears of altered neighborhood character and questions of true affordability, as detailed byGothamist. City Planning Commissioner Gail Benjamin, despite ultimately voting to move the proposal forward, articulated her reservations: most communities have wanted more parking, not less parking.”
Meanwhile, the mayor finds himself in the midst of intricate Council politics where skepticism has found strange bedfellows among Republicans, centrist Democrats, and typically progressive council members, with the latter group’s approval vital to the plan’s success. In a measured response, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has skirted taking a definitive stance on the proposal, urging public participation and dialogue on the matter as “the Council thoroughly reviews the administration’s proposed zoning changes,” according to her statement obtained byGothamist.
According to aNew York Postarticle earlier, among the ranks of proponents is Da Homeless Hero Shams DaBaron, who remarked the housing shortage affected everyone in New York and the plan represented a much needed solution. In contrast, skeptics argue it offers undue advantages to developers with Commissioner Leah Goodridge indicating opposition comprises not only “white homeowners in Staten Island and Queens who are so-called NIMBYs” but a cross-section of the city’s demographics, according toGothamist. Mayor Adams, despite the controversy, continues to herald the “City of Yes” as a cornerstone of his housing policy, opining the crisis can only be tackled by constructing more housing.
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