NYC official blast for living in district that ‘won’t be touched’ by controversial rezoning plan
A city official overseeing a proposed massive overhaul to Big Apple zoning rules was blasted by local pols this week for living in a district that “won’t be touched” by the new plan.
The City Council kicked off two days of public hearings on Monday to scrutinize Mayor Eric Adams’ ambitious “City of Yes” plan, which hopes to create as many as 109,000 new homes over the next 15 years.
Dan Garodnick, director of the Department of City planning, who lives in a $2.6 million, three-bedroom duplex in the swanky Upper West Side/Central Park West historic district in Manhattan, fielded questions from lawmakers about the plan on Monday, saying it would “take a big bite of our housing crisis citywide.”
But Councilmember Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) fired back against Garodnick during the following day’s hearing, saying he wouldn’t have to worry about the plan affecting him.
“Dan will not be touched,” Paladino roared Tuesday, saying it would be the “little guy” who would most likely be affected.
Officially titled, “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the landmark proposal would maintain existing legal protections for historic dwellings, and changes to landmarks or historic districts would still require review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Paladino argued that “protections” such as this would push developers to eye neighborhoods — like those in her district — to sidestep approval processes and aesthetic considerations made in posh historic districts.
“I guess it’s very easy to support ‘City of Yes’ from landmarked ten million dollar brownstones in Brooklyn or historic co-op buildings on the Upper East Side,” she told The Post after the hearing.
The massive overhaul would represent the first major change to the city’s zoning since 1961.
It would provide a “bonus” to developers to build 20% higher, if the additional space is dedicated to lower-than-market rate apartments.
More apartments could also be construction around transit hubs and above buildings in commercial strips and permit homeowners to create apartments up to 800 square feet in basements, garages and attics, and would make it easier to convert office towers into apartments.
The plan would also make it easier for certain landmarked buildings to transfer their development rights to allow them to get funds to help pay for often costly maintenance, a city spokesperson said.
Development has been concentrated in lower income neighborhoods and the proposal hopes to “address that imbalance,” the rep said.
“Landmark preservation review does not prevent contextual development like what would be made possible through the City of Yes,” they said.
“With our universal affordability preference and office to residential conversion proposals, we could see thousands of affordable homes built across Manhattan.”
The administration argues that the city is navigating the throes of a housing shortage — where new construction hasn’t kept up with population growth and the vacancy rate has dipped to 1.4%, the lowest in decades.
“We don’t have to live this way,” First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer said at a rally outside City Hall on Tuesday.
“The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is our chance, maybe our generational chance, to move the needle on our housing crisis and bring real relief to our neighbors.”
Torres-Springer turned the finger back on critics, saying it was the “loud, well housed few” drowning out the voices of those who are “relying on us to deliver solutions.”
“The seniors who want to age with dignity, the young people who want to have a future here in our city, the families who want to grow here working class New Yorkers who feel the squeeze,” she added.
The Council is expected to amend and vote on the proposal, which the city planning commission approved in September, before the year’s end.
