Avella Disses DOB's New Development Process
Not everyone’s digging the new development process that DOB announced this week. While perennial DOB critic Council Member Tony Avella likes the idea of posting drawings online, the feedback process is flawed, he thinks. “Despite being touted by Mayor Mike Bloomberg and DOB Commissioner LiMandri as empowering the public with greater oversight over new developments,…
Not everyone’s digging the new development process that DOB announced this week. While perennial DOB critic Council Member Tony Avella likes the idea of posting drawings online, the feedback process is flawed, he thinks. “Despite being touted by Mayor Mike Bloomberg and DOB Commissioner LiMandri as empowering the public with greater oversight over new developments, it is actually diminishing the ability of residents to contest new construction by creating a defacto statute of limitations through the implementation of the 30-day comment period,” Avella said in a press release yesterday. “This procedure will in effect actually benefit unscrupulous developers who will simply wait out the clock to avoid community challenges. He also doesn’t like the idea of the Board of Standards and Appeals having the final say in the public appeal process. Why’s that? “Throughout its existence [the BSA] has essentially been a rubber stamp for developers.” He’s got a point there.
Unscrupulous developers build at their own risk – permits and approvals can always be rescinded. This is a disaster of a plan. The DOB is responding as they usually do by overcompensating for a few bad apples. A 30 day public review period – a good DOB plan examiner will do more in 30 minutes. What resources or mechanism is going to handle these public “comments”, most of which know nothing on the matter.
another concern is that this might be the first salvo in doing away with community boards(something the Mayor wants to do) while community boards may not be perfect its a form of local democracy that the Mayor isn’t crazy about.
BTW unless its statutory I don’t think the time frame would really become a statute of limitation. Even the DOB doesn’t say that if it issues a permit wrongfully it waive the actually zoning requirements.
ooooh… Rob disses Brownstowner
“disses” lol what are you 13 and this is 1992? jk. hahah
*r*