Ruben Diaz, Jr
Tonight, my office will host its hearing on Mayor de Blasio’s proposed zoning changes, known respectively as “Zoning for Quality & Affordability” and “Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.”
My office is not required to host this hearing, but we concluded it was necessary to allow for greater public participation on this topic due to the accelerated timeline the mayor has imposed.
There is much controversy surrounding this issue, in all corners of our borough. In mid-October, I convened a meeting of our 12 community boards to both discuss our shared concerns about Mayor de Blasio’s plans and to scrutinize these proposals to ensure that their concerns were met before taking a vote.
So far, nine of our community boards have indicated their dissatisfaction with Mayor de Blasio’s zoning plan, and I applaud their willingness to stand up for their neighborhoods and voice their objections loud and clear.
For months, my office has fielded questions from neighborhoods across The Bronx about Mayor de Blasio’s proposed zoning plans, and this evening I expect even more concerns to be raised. As I prepare for next week’s meeting of the Bronx Borough Board, and for my own recommendations following that, I look forward to hearing from the diverse community of my borough about their thoughts on this process, and will use those statements to inform my own position on this contentious issue.
The hearing will take place at 851 Grand Concourse, Room 600, Bronx, NY 10451 at 6 p.m.
For those unable to attend this evening’s hearing, it will be streamed live by Bronxnet at www.bronxnet.tv or on Bronx Optimum Channel 67/Bronx Verizon FiOS Channel 33.
Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President
