Mayor Adams key City of Yes initiative inches closer with $5B pledge, NYC Council concessions
New York could soon be a “City of Yes” — sort of.The City Council approved Mayor Eric Adams’ controversial sweeping plan to build tens of thousands of housing units across the Big Apple in down-to-the-wire votes — after a $5 billion funding promise from Hizzoner and a handful of concessions.
After hours of delays Thursday, a pair of council committees signed off on the massive slate of zoning adjustments, sending it to the full body for a vote early next month.But the council approvals came with some caveats, such as restricting basement dwelling units in flood-prone zones and backyard housing to areas close to transit.
It also created three zones for parking requirements — with councilmembers arguing each community has its own varied need for cars.The Adams administration had lobbied for removing all parking spot requirements when adding new housing units and lifting nearly all restrictions on basements and backyard apartments.In addition, the mayor, who has made the zoning changes a cornerstone of his first term, caved to councilmembers for an ask of $5 billion to fund roads, public building renovations, water systems, sewage facilities and more.Even so, Adams praised the development.“I never go into a negotiation expecting to walk away with everything that I want,” he told reporters after the votes.
“I want to go into a negotiation walking away where we both got enough to accomplish the task, and we did that — the most historical housing reform in the history of the city.”Council Speaker Adrienne Adams called the votes “an important step forward” to address the city’s housing crisis.“Residents of our city need affordable and stable homes to rent and own and addressing that shortage, while supporting existing homeowners and tenants, deepening affordability and strengthening the infrastructure of neighborhoods, are goals we must all share for a safer and stronger city,” Adams, no relation to the mayor, said.Despite the concession...