A modest affordable housing proposal in Queens is the subject of rushed negotiations ahead of a key New York City Council committee vote Tuesday. And it could get shot down without a last-minute deal. Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, a close ally of Speaker Adrienne Adams, has raised objections to the 106-unit project in her Far Rockaway district. The Council's unofficial land use practices give her effective veto power over the plan. The current proposal from the non-profit developer The Community Builders, Inc. would yield rentals targeted toward low- and middle-income households. So what’s the problem? Brooks-Powers wants the project to become homeownership units. She has argued the neighborhood — which was rezoned in 2017 — has already done its fair share to produce affordable rental housing, according to multiple people familiar with the talks. She did not respond to requests for comment. Speaker Adams has indicated a willingness to buck the "member deference" practice in the past, like in the case of the controversial Bruckner rezoning in the Bronx last year. But the Council in this case doesn’t appear to have the appetite to advance the proposal against Brooks-Powers’ wishes, the people said. Negotiations continued late Monday. Deals on land use projects often come together at the last minute, but the situation illustrates how even small-scale rezonings don’t always have an easy path to approval. The vote comes as the Council has frequently criticized Mayor Eric Adams for not doing enough to address the city’s growing housing crisis. The body recently overrode his veto on a suite of rental voucher bills. The mayor stressed the need to boost housing supply in his rejection of the voucher package, and he’s made a point of publicly backing private rezoning projects that are up for Council review. “The Adams administration supports efforts to bring affordable homes to Ocean Crest Boulevard, and has been working closely with the City Council to explore any feasible proposals for how to make the proposed project even stronger,” a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement to POLITICO. “We remain hopeful that the Council will vote in favor of adding much needed affordable housing in the Rockaways.” IT’S TUESDAY. WHERE’S KATHY? Delivering a housing announcement in Amsterdam, N.Y. WHERE’S ERIC? Delivering remarks to kick off the public housing preservation trust resident engagement process and attending the National Night Out Against Crime at the NYPD’s 30th, 41st, 70th, 103rd and 122nd precincts. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Denying new arrivals placement and forcing people to languish on local streets is cruel and runs afoul of a range of court orders and local laws.” — The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless in a joint statement Monday criticizing Adams on the migrant crisis.
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UNITED FRONT ON CRIME: Three of New York’s most prominent Democrats sat shoulder-to-shoulder Monday to announce a gun violence prevention plan intended, in part, to blunt Republican critics who’ve portrayed the city as a crime-ridden hellscape. “You can’t say you’re serious about fighting crime if you’re not serious about getting illegal guns off our streets,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a City Hall press conference. “And that is the difference between red states and blue states, and the statistics bear it out.” She and Attorney General Tish James joined Adams as he unveiled a 54-page blueprint from the city’s Gun Prevention Task Force. Adams, a former NYPD captain, touted decreasing homicide and shooting numbers. The New York State GOP scoffed at Democrats insisting they’re not soft on crime, with spokesman David Laska saying: “Kathy Hochul and Democrats have repeatedly made it clear to New Yorkers that keeping our streets safe is the least of their concerns.” — Emily Ngo |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Howard Kurtz (7-0) … Edelman’s Jordan Lubowitz … former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.) … Graeme Trayner of FGS Global … Cappy McGarr … David Helfenbein … Nora Bergman … (was Monday): Leon Black ... Ronald Kuby
OUT AND ABOUT — The Brooklyn Democratic Party gala last night was packed tight at Giando on the Water in Williamsburg. "They need a new room,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer quipped, squeezing through the crowd. Speech after speech praised the party boss, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and emphasized how many powerful pols hail from Brooklyn. Gov. Kathy Hochul talked up expectations in 2024, saying she wanted to “harness this political power we see here in Brooklyn,” and use it statewide “turning the New York State Democratic Party into the political powerhouse it always should have been.” SPOTTED: Mayor Eric Adams, Attorney General Tish James, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Greg Meeks, Grace Meng and Dan Goldman, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, state Sens. Kristen Gonzalez, Roxanne Persaud, John Liu, Jamaal Bailey, and Zellnor Myrie with Diana Richardson ...Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Council Members Justin Brannan, Farah Louis, Darlene Mealy, Kalman Yeger, Julie Menin, Oswald Feliz and Lynn Schulman ...Assemblymembers Simcha Eichenstein, Monique Chandler-Waterman, Nikki Lucas, Michaelle Solages, Harvey Epstein and Yudelka Tapia, Howard Fensterman, Frank Seddio, Edu Hermelyn, Yamil Speight-Miller, Josh Mehlman, Randy Peers, Michael Garner, Robert Cornegy, Mark Treyger, Chris Banks, Ydanis Rodriguez, and Ingrid Lewis-Martin. NOT SPOTTED: The original Brooklyn Young Dems chapter, who instead invited folks to “a fundraiser you can actually afford.” MAKING MOVES — Kristina Naplatarski has joined Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso’s office as communications director. She worked for his council office and campaign. … Melissa Grace, director of communications for the New York City Department of City Planning, is joining Rubenstein as a senior vice president focusing on commercial real estate. … Jim McGovern is joining Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the government investigations and white collar criminal defense practice. He was previously a partner at Hogan Lovells.
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