Community Board ZQA & MIH Vote Tracker. Image credit: CityLand
CityLand creates comprehensive chart tracking every vote taken by community boards citywide on the ZQA and MIH text amendments. On September 21, 2015, the City Planning Commission referred for public review the Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) citywide text amendments. Since the public review process has begun, community boards across the city have met to discuss and vote on each of the two proposals. All 59 New York City Community Boards have until November 30th to vote on two citywide text amendments.
CityLand has created a comprehensive citywide chart that is tracking every community board action taken on ZQA and MIH. CityLand will continue to update this chart as we receive more detailed information. To date, we have attempted to contact every Board in the City at least twice. We ask readers to please contact us at nycitylaw@nyls.edu with new information to keep the chart up to date. To view and download the chart click on the adjacent picture or click here. (Last Update: December 1st at 4:00PM)
Thus far, an overwhelming number of community boards have voted against both of these proposals, with MIH doing marginally better than ZQA. Within the boards themselves, the votes have been lopsided, with several recording unanimous votes against. Most Boards have backed up the votes with statements expressing their reasons for opposition. Some Boards that approved the measures included stipulations to the Yes votes.
Manhattan Community Board 10 (Central Harlem) decided to not take any action, however did issue a report itemizing concerns they had with the text amendments. The reported cited insufficient time as the main reason for not holding a vote. Brooklyn Community Board 7 (Sunset Park), although they disapproved the ZQA, ended up not taking a position on MIH. The final vote recorded 15 in favor of MIH, 11 against, with 8 abstentions. Even though a plurality was in favor, it was not the majority of the votes cast.
On November 17th, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer along with 28 other elected officials who represent Manhattan sent a detailed letter to City Planning Commission Chairman Carl Weisbrod voicing major concerns with the two plans. On November 30th, the Manhattan Borough Board held a special meeting and unanimously voted to pass two resolutions recommending the conditional disapproval of both proposals, MIH & ZQA. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Council member Rosie Mendez provided two of the twelve votes in favor of the resolutions. Council members Corey Johnson, Ben Kallos, Helen Rosenthal, and Mark Levine abstained from voting on either proposal because of the proposals’ anticipated appearance before the full City Council.
The Queens Borough Board met on November 17th and voted against both proposals 12 to 2. The Queens City Council delegation all abstained from voting. Queens Borough President Melissa Katz plans to issue her own recommendation soon.
The Bronx Borough Board met on November 19th and voted unanimously against both plans. The Borough Board included Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., all twelve Bronx community boards, and seven Council Members that represent the Bronx. Only Council Speaker Mark-Viverito’s office abstained.
The Brooklyn Borough Board will be voting on Tuesday, December 1st. The next Staten Island Borough Board meeting will also take place in early December.
After the Borough Presidents review the proposal, the two text amendments then return to the City Planning Commission for the next stage in the public review process. City Planning’s votes will not take place until early 2016.
By: Brian Kaszuba, CityLand Editor, Michael Twomey, CityLand Fellow & Jessica Soultanian-Braunstein, CityLand Fellow.