Borough prez slams zoning proposals

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is calling on the mayor to go back to the drawing board on zoning proposals aimed at creating or preserving 200,000 affordable housing units over the next decade.

After the Bronx Borough Board unanimously voted to reject the Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) text amendments, which would raise building height limits, and the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) proposal, which would require affordable housing in some new residential buildings, Mr. Diaz expressed his concerns at length to New York City Planning Commissioner Carl Weisbrod in a Nov. 30 letter. Borough boards in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens also have voted against Mayor Bill de Blasio’s zoning plans, which are among the biggest undertakings of his administration to date. 

“The Administration has said that MIH and ZQA are the only way to mitigate the problems of displacement that can come with gentrification in New York City. This is simply not the case,” Mr. Diaz stated in his letter. “While affordable housing is key, these amendments as they stand are not the way to accomplish affordable housing for New Yorkers.” 

Among the borough president’s criticism of the zoning proposals, he said they could lead to a lack of green space, would not address needs of people with poor credit and undo years of work by community boards to devise rules that preserve the character of their communities. Last month, Community Board 8 joined other Bronx boards in voting against MIH and ZQA.

“The MIH proposal in its present form leaves very little room for any community input in future projects as the affordability options will not be decided by communities,” Mr. Diaz’s letter said. “The language as it is currently written does not assure the affordability options… are actually financially feasible, or that adequate subsidies will be provided to implement them. Additionally, the options offered do not fully address the broad range of incomes, particularly the needs of low-income residents.”