Recent events have reminded us that the New York City Council has the power to stop development projects it doesn't want to see go forward. That is a hurdle that Extell and its financial backers, the Carlyle Group, will have to pass with their proposal for the completion of the Riverside South project in Manhattan. Currently they are on a collision course, with Extell demanding a dramatic increase to the legally recorded limits, and with the City Council having complete power to just say no. Which, given the history of the project and the size of the proposal, it should!
The City Council gets its power from being a key step in the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP). Following is the City's diagram of just part of the process, the one relevant to recent events (click to enlarge):
You can see that, after City Planning Commission approves, the City Council can then shut down the project, essentially just because they want to. The mayor has the power to veto -- but then the Council can override the Mayor's veto.
All of which just happened with the Kingsbridge Amory project in the Bronx.
First the Council rejected the plan; then the Mayor vetoed the rejection; and finally, just yesterday, the Council overrode the Mayor's veto. Many strong feelings were expressed, both against the Council's action and in favor of it. In other cases, of course, the Council endorses large projects, as they just did for the Related Companies huge development of the railyards near Penn Station.
In the case of Extell's Riverside South development, important politicians, including the local Councilwoman Gale Brewer, have gone on record supporting the existing limits that Extell is trying to exceed. Let's hope that, when the time comes, they exercise the power they so clearly have.
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