“The Council’s land use process could benefit from more thorough strategies to meaningfully engage communities and secure better development outcomes for New Yorkers,” Speaker—and mayoral hopeful—Adrienne Adams said in the intro to the newly-published Community Planning Framework.
The New York City Council wants more proactive planning.
Last week, the legislative body—whose members get a definitive vote in city land use decisions—unveiled a “Community Planning Framework” it says will bring more voices into the process and better consider the needs of communities when negotiating projects. “Without planning, land use changes can often be unpredictable and piecemeal,” the 37-page framework reads.
The document is “meant to guide Council Members, city agencies, potential applicants, and community-based organizations,” on how to be more “proactive” when it comes to development decisions, be it via neighborhood-wide rezonings or a specific developer’s one-lot proposal.
“The Council’s land use process could benefit from more thorough strategies to meaningfully engage communities and secure better development outcomes for New Yorkers,” Speaker Adrienne Adams—who’s among the crowded field of candidates competing in this month’s Democratic primary for mayor—said in the guide’s intro.
Its publication comes as two concurrent Charter Revision Commissions—one convened by Mayor Eric Adams and the other by the Council—are considering changes to city government processes on land use, an effort to speed up housing production. This includes potential reforms to the Uniform Land Use Procedure (ULURP), the city’s approval process for zoning changes, and how big of a role councilmembers and other stakeholders should play in it.
Among the Community Planning Framework’s recommendations: That each councilmember work with local groups and residents to develop a land use plan specific to their communities, “that identifies long-term priorities, goals, and strategies at the district level to inform future development.”
This can guide developers looking to build within a given district, so they can shape their project proposals to include resources and amenities the neighborhood has already identified as priorities, like open space or transportation upgrades.
Along the same lines, the Council’s guide recommends lawmakers start the public engagement process early—”especially before ULURP” kicks off, when a clock starts ticking and sets mandated time frames by which community boards, the borough president, City Planning Commissions and Council must weigh in.
When local sakeholders are brought into the
process early (especially before ULURP), input
can be especially helpful to vet changes to the
proposal before it’s too late.
“Early engagement allows potential applicants to submit a proposal that is more responsive to community preferences, and for community and elected representatives to use the feedback to reinforce desired project components. Waiting until after the environmental study is determined or after the start of public review can narrow the opportunities for public input to shape what is ultimately built.”
The post Council Speaker Seeks to ‘Elevate the Role of Community Planning’ in Land Use Decisions appeared first on City Limits.
Leave a Reply