Tag Archives: ulurp

City Steps Back from their Industrial Action Plan

Almost two years to the day since Mayor de Blasio announced his historic Industrial Action Plan, the City seems to be stepping back from their plan. Yesterday, the City Planning Commission voted on a proposal to mix manufacturing and self-storage in core industrial areas. Rather than vote on the City’s own original proposal to limit self-storage, which was supported by the majority of community boards and industrial service providers, the Department of City Planning (DCP) put forward an amended proposal that will continue the self-storage industry’s as-of-right access to our core industrial areas. As the final stop in Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), the City Council has the power to make alterations and corrections to a proposal before the text is enacted.

Two years after the Action Plan, the Administration is losing sight of some of the Mayor’s goals. Land-use policies that protect good jobs are an important part of an equitable economic development vision for the City. Employment-dense, blue-collar manufacturing uses are increasingly being displaced by non-manufacturing uses, including and especially self-storage, across the city.

The reforms that would have limited self-storage and hotels in the Industrial Business Zones were announced in the Action Plan two years ago. While the process for self-storage is reaching the end of its ULURP, the ULURP on hotels has not even started. All the while, these and other competing uses have continued to go up in core industrial areas, placing rent pressures on manufacturers to either pay up or get out. At this point, the City has the opportunity to fulfill one of these long-overdue promises to strengthen the IBZs.

But to do this, the City must ignore the self-storage industry and listen to the diverse set of manufacturers, developers, community boards, borough presidents, and city councilmembers, who are fighting in support of the Mayor’s original vision.

The self-storage text amendment (in both the original and A-Text forms) is unique in that it would finally map the Industrial Business Zones in zoning maps, creating a foundation for future use group reforms. However, the A-Text that passed yesterday only creates a foundation for more carve-outs in our core industrial areas, essentially putting a bullseye on the Industrial Business Zones. Once the City opens the door to the self-storage lobby to shape policy, you open the door for arguments about manufacturers needing hotels or big box retailers nearby, the next important fight. This same tactic – watering down a protection through a mixed-use proposal – can be re-applied in any future attempt at use group reform. It is true that this proposal is setting a major precedent; it is crucial that the City and Council ensure it set the right precedent.

Councilmembers know from their local Industrial Business Service providers and manufacturers that Industrial Business Zones need to be protected with meaningful zoning protections. As the core areas of industrial and manufacturing activity, Industrial Business Zones are hubs for good paying jobs and engines of economic opportunity. The Council has historically led and must continue to lead on strengthening Industrial Business Zones and championing industrial issues. ANHD and the Industrial Jobs Coalition look forward to continuing to work with the City Council to strengthen the IBZs, protect and grow industrial jobs and businesses, and keep the engine of opportunity running.
Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen, ANHD’s Campaign Coordinator for Equitable Economic Development

The City’s Decision to Begin Jerome Avenue Rezoning Public Review Process After Community Opposition March Highlights the Significant Work Ahead

Yesterday afternoon the City Planning Commission kicked off the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) for the City’s proposed Jerome Avenue rezoning, beginning the seven-month public review process that will culminate in a binding vote by the City Council. Yet the decision to start ULURP came just days after the community marched in opposition, demanding that the City immediately stop the rezoning from moving forward until it has firm commitments in place to address displacement, deep affordability, and labor standard concerns. The fact that the City chose to start ULURP regardless highlights the significant work they have ahead to meet the neighborhood’s vision.

The Bronx Coalition for a Community Vision has engaged with the City for over two years, trying to facilitate the creation of a community-driven plan that truly meets the priorities of the neighborhood. In that time, they’ve made clear that no rezoning can move forward without firm commitments to ensuring building truly affordable housing, creating local, career-track jobs, and anti-displacement polices that are inclusive and representative of the community. The Coalition is asking the City to consider the effects that potential federal budget cuts might have on New York City’s affordable housing programs and urging the City to hold off on any rezoning until the new federal budget has passed and firm financial commitments can be made. In addition, the Coalition points out that the City is already building affordable housing around Jerome Avenue at a fast enough pace to reach its numbers without a neighborhood rezoning, and requests more explanation as to why a major increase in density and market-rate housing is needed at all.

As Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), a project of New Settlement Apartments leader Carmen Vega-Rivera – one of the hundreds of New Yorkers to attend the march on Saturday – said, “We the community have been meeting and planning for over two years to come up with a platform that meets the needs of the community. The fact that the city is moving forward with their plan and not our plan speaks volumes about the City’s priorities. The City still has time to stop this plan.” The City also has time to get this right. As the Coalition has repeatedly made clear they are not simply saying no to change; they are instead trying to demonstrate a new model for real community investment through rezoning. This represents an important opportunity for the City, and getting it right is the only timeline that should matter.

Photos Courtesy of Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA)

Christopher Walters, ANHD’s Rezoning Technical Assistance Coordinator