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A SWEEPING HOUSING BILL PASSES, BUT COMPLAINTS CONTINUE NEWS Neighborhood groups say they’re worried affordability problems will linger BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
A week after New York’s City Council passed the biggest, most extensive changes to New York’s housing and zoning laws since 1961, handing a major victory to Mayor Bill de Blasio, neighborhood groups across the city say
Photo: Kevin Case, via flickr
they still don’t think the changes go far enough. The bill requires developers building in newly rezoned areas of the city to include below-market-rate housing, and encourages developers to build more affordable and senior housing by removing requirements like parking garages and height limits. Both elements of the plan went before all 59 New York City community boards, with only five of them voting in approval. Because of the community boards’ opposition -- and complaints by other
step in the right direction. But he takes issue with its basis in upzoning, a term used when buildings are rezoned for more intensive purposes, like when residential buildings are upzoned for commercial use. “[MIH] doesn’t work without upzoning,” Bankoff said. “And we’re not totally satisfied or thrilled with that as a policy decision to try to cure the affordability crisis.” The historic council’s main concern, however, is with
groups -- council members made changes to de Blasio’s original proposals, which were then passed on March 22. But frustration with the policies remains. Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, said he was “not happy with either of the proposals in their entirety.” While the council primarily focuses on preserving buildings, rather than making them more affordable, Bankoff feels that the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing part of the bill is a
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PETER STANFORD, FOUNDER OF SEAPORT MUSEUM, DIES A passionate and persistent advocate of the city’s and the nation’s maritime history BY EMILY TOWNER
Peter Stanford was the founding president of the South Street Seaport.
Peter Stanford, the founding president of the South Street Seaport Museum and a passionate advocate for New York City’s and the country’s maritime heritage, has died. Stanford, who lived in West-
American Society of Marine Artists (1977); the American Ship Trust (1978); the Hudson River Maritime Museum (1979); and the National Maritime Alliance (1987). Stanford was also instrumental in the founding of the Council of American Maritime Museums.
chester County, was 89. In addition to founding the Seaport Museum with his wife, Norma, in 1967, Stanford was the second president of the National Maritime Historical Society. Several notable institutions were founded under his stewardship at the society, among them The Council of American Maritime Museums, in 1972; the
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2016
Our Take TURN THE GAS BACK ON Kudos to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for moving to do something about the latest outrage affecting tenants, many of them low income, in New York. Responding to our story in early March about the surge in gas shutoffs in the city, often targeting rent-stabilized tenants, Brewer has sent a letter to Con Edison, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and city and state regulators looking for answers. “Manhattan’s residents -especially those with low or fixed incomes -- must have cooking gas to feed themselves affordably,” Brewer writes. “Hot plates are not an acceptable long-term substitute.” Brewer has asked for a full report on all buildings currently without gas service, and an explanation of what’s happening to turn it back on. Our reporting, cited in Brewer’s letter, uncovered a 400 percent increase in gas shutoffs in 2015, and a disturbing continuation of the trend so far this year. Brewer said her office is working with the residents of three buildings that have been without gas service for months -one since last September. It’s possible Brewer will find reasonable explanations for the increased shutoffs, including extra vigilence by ConEd in the wake of the fatal East Village gas explosion last year. We’ll see. Our fear, though, is that we’ll be forced to add gas shutoffs to poor doors, hidden surveillance cameras, and the myriad other ways that an unaffordable Manhattan has made life miserable for those among us on the bottom end of the income scale.
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WEEK OF APRIL
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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