Dozens of lawmakers, residents and community groups are taking the Big Apple to court over its controversial “City of Yes” housing plan — seeking to unravel Mayor Eric Adams’ cornerstone initiative to overhaul decades-old regulations.
The 60-page lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in Staten Island Supreme Court, argues that the Adams administration and the City Council rushed through the massive slate of sweeping changes to the city’s zoning laws, setting aside environmental concerns.
“[I]n casting aside critical areas of environmental concern in their rush to complete the most comprehensive and radical transformation of New York City Zoning in over sixty years,” the suit says.
The coalition casts the plan in the suit as a “wholesale departure” from the city’s policy “that respects open space, air and light, stress on infrastructure and the neighborhood character” throughout NYC.
“To have undertaken this Rezoning contrary to the requirements of basic environmental law must result in a nullification of Respondents’ unlawful behavior,” the suit reads.
The lawsuit was filed by members of the council’s bipartisan Common Sense Caucus along with a number of community organizations from all five boroughs and other lawmakers, including US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) of Staten Island.
The “City of Yes” initiative vows to add 80,000 housing units over the next 15 years by loosening restrictions on parking requirements as well as apartments above stores and in basements.
It also includes a $5 billion investment from the city and state to build tens of thousands of new homes.
The changes were approved by the council in December on a 31-20 vote after lengthy negotiations, which led to a partially scaled-back plan.
Adams heralded the council’s passage of the initiative as “historic.”
“We showed the nation that government can still be bold and brave by passing the most pro-housing piece of legislation in city history,” he said after the vote.
Republican mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa, who signed onto the suit, railed against the City of Yes — calling it “nothing more than a land grab for developers at the expense of working- and middle-class New Yorkers.”
“This lawsuit is a wake-up call to City Hall that New Yorkers will not be steamrolled,” he added.
