Latest news with #UniformLandUseReviewProcedure
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘We Outside': NYC allocates $30M to transform vacant lots into green spaces
NEW YORK (PIX11)— New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday that $30 million will be allocated to transform vacant lots into green spaces. Mayor Adams also launched 'We Outside Summer,' a new initiative featuring events, investments, and programs across the five boroughs to ensure a safe, enjoyable summer for New Yorkers. More Local News 'We know New Yorkers across the five boroughs are looking for more places to enjoy the warmer weather with friends and loved ones,' said Mayor Adams. 'Today, we're announcing a new effort to turn vacant, abandoned lots into parks — bringing more green spaces to neighborhoods across New York City that don't currently have access to them. This initiative builds on our administration's commitment to put a park within walking distance of a park because access to parks is critical, and as summer arrives, we're working hard to deliver green spaces to the areas most in need across the five boroughs.' The NYC Parks Department submitted Uniform Land Use Review Procedure applications for 44 sites in Brooklyn and Queens. Officials said some neighborhood sites include East New York, Jackson Heights, and East Elmhurst. According to ULURP is New York City's approval process for changes to how land is used, as required by the City Charter. Not all sites will be converted into parkland. Officials said additional sites will be announced in the coming months. The Adams administration says it has committed $80 million to expanding green spaces in the city since taking office. For more information on Mayor Adams' 'We Outside Summer,' click here. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Demonstrators arrested as fight against Brooklyn homeless shelter escalates
There were arrests Wednesday morning as an ongoing fight against a Brooklyn homeless shelter escalated. Protesters have been trying to block construction at the Coyle Street site in Sheepshead Bay for nearly seven weeks. Demonstrators clash with NYPD at Coyle Street construction site Video from early Wednesday morning shows one man laying on his back on the ground, as other protestors argue with police. From another angle, video shows demonstrators push back against officers trying to clear them from blocking the site of the controversial shelter. The NYPD confirms several people were arrested in the morning tussle. Residents had set up an encampment to prevent the start of construction. "They broke everything down, and they pretty much removed the residents to across the street," community organizer Dimple Willabus said. Earlier this month, a judge ruled that opponents cannot block access to the property as nonprofit developer Westhab begins working on a 169-bed homeless shelter for families with children. A New York City Department of Homeless Services spokesperson said in a statement, "While these protestors have every right to publicly express their views and opinions, they must do so peacefully and in a manner which complies with the law." Opponents worried about quality-of-life issues Opponents call the project a bait-and-switch. The site was previously approved as a five-story building which included affordable housing back in 2021. That developer pulled out, which is when Westhab stepped in with its shelter project. "We ask them to build the homeless shelter somewhere else," protester Ken Huang said. Huang said many in the community worry about quality-of-life concerns. "The people, they feel unsafe, so that's why they want to protect the community," said resident Lina Chen, who has been helping organize the rallies in the area. Richard Nightingale, president and CEO of Westhab, says the organization had nothing to do with the original proposal. In a written statement, he says, in part: "We've been clear about our plans from the onset of our involvement, and we've followed all protocols including community notifications beginning two years ago in 2023." Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, who represents this district, says she was made aware of the shelter plan in 2023. "We thought that 'no, it could not happen,' because we just finished debating the [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure] process for affordable housing. When I looked at the Department of Buildings' website, it was affordable housing," she said to Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger. Residents file injunction to try to pause construction Neighbors have filed an injunction to try to pause construction. They are due in court on May 7, when they plan to protest outside the courthouse and then by City Hall. The city's Department of Homeless Services says this district does not have any long-term shelter resources. In a statement, a spokesperson writes, in part, "We need every community to do its part to support our neighbors in need." That's not an argument opponents find compelling. "What about Park Avenue in Manhattan? What about Sutton Place in Manhattan? What about Billionaires' Row on Central Park South?" said Curtis Sliwa, who is running for New York City mayor on the Republican ticket. "When you start setting the example in Manhattan, then maybe we can convince these people they need to do their fair share." Protestors also plan to march through the community on Sunday. Westhab says the shelter is expected to open in about two years. Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral candidate Scott Stringer plans zoning change to stop Trump from selling fed buildings
NEW YORK — Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer is proposing a new zoning designation to block President Donald Trump from auctioning off federal buildings to luxury developers, the Daily News has learned. The plan, dubbed Safeguarding Historic Infrastructure through Effective Land-use Defenses, or SHIELD, would create a new 'federal use' zoning category that would require any such deal to go through a lengthy public review, and it would give the City Council the ability to block it. 'As mayor, I will fight to protect our civic infrastructure, using all the tools at my disposal to protect it from Trump selling it to the highest bidder,' Stringer said in a statement. 'Under this new zoning rule, if Trump wants to hatch a scheme to line his or his cronies' pockets, he'll have to go through New Yorkers first.' There are just four buildings in New York that could be at risk and would fall under this federal policy, including the 41-story Javits Federal Office Building in lower Manhattan, which is home to Immigration Court and Immigration and Custom Enforcement's local field office. Stringer's proposal to take on this niche issue for the city would require a new text amendment to the city's zoning rules, which would itself require a months-long process in order to be put in place. A Stringer campaign spokesperson said the proposal is relatively uncontroversial, so it could be adopted more quickly, and that a prospective developer might be turned off by the idea of going through a long process. The Trump administration last month released, but then walked back a list of hundreds of buildings across the country that it was considering selling off. The administration has said it is continuing to identify government buildings that it potentially could put up for bids. Under the proposed new designation, the structures would gain a 'special use' condition on top of their underlying zoning. Then, if the feds tried to sell one of the properties, the developer would have to get a special permit from the City Planning Commission. That, in turn, would trigger the months-long Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP, that goes through various levels of city government for approval, with the City Council getting the final say. Mayoral candidates running in the Democratic primary election have been eager to show how, if elected, they each would stand up to Trump's threats, with many pitching plans to counter Trump's threats to pull federal funding. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo faced early criticism for saying he'd be open to working with the president, and has since leveled more blows at Trump — although he's still facing backlash for taking donations from Trump allies.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer plans zoning change to stop Trump from selling fed buildings
Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer is proposing a new zoning designation to block President Trump from auctioning off federal buildings to luxury developers, the Daily News has learned. The plan, dubbed Safeguarding Historic Infrastructure through Effective Land-use Defenses, or SHIELD, would create a new 'federal use' zoning category that would require any such deal to go through a lengthy public review, and it would give the City Council the ability to block it. 'As mayor, I will fight to protect our civic infrastructure, using all the tools at my disposal to protect it from Trump selling it to the highest bidder,' Stringer said in a statement. 'Under this new zoning rule, if Trump wants to hatch a scheme to line his or his cronies' pockets, he'll have to go through New Yorkers first.' There are just four buildings in New York that could be at risk and would fall under this federal policy, including the 41-story Javits Federal Office Building in lower Manhattan, which is home to Immigration Court and Immigration and Custom Enforcement's local field office. Stringer's proposal to take on this niche issue for the city would require a new text amendment to the city's zoning rules, which would itself require a months-long process in order to be put in place. A Stringer campaign spokesperson said the proposal is relatively uncontroversial, so it could be adopted more quickly, and that a prospective developer might be turned off by the idea of going through a long process. The Trump administration last month released, but then walked back a list of hundreds of buildings across the country that it was considering selling off. The administration has said it is continuing to identify government buildings that it potentially could put up for bids. Under the proposed new designation, the structures would gain a 'special use' condition on top of their underlying zoning. Then, if the feds tried to sell one of the properties, the developer would have to get a special permit from the City Planning Commission. That, in turn, would trigger the months-long Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP, that goes through various levels of city government for approval, with the City Council getting the final say. Mayoral candidates running in the Democratic primary election have been eager to show how, if elected, they each would stand up to Trump's threats, with many pitching plans to counter Trump's threats to pull federal funding. Former Governor Cuomo faced early criticism for saying he'd be open to working with the president, and has since leveled more blows at Trump — although he's still facing backlash for taking donations from Trump allies.
