CITY HALL — A bill designed to ensure that rezonings are paired with the appropriate infrastructure improvements will be introduced at tomorrow’s City Council meeting.

Council Member David Yassky’s bill, known as the “Smart Development� bill, is co-sponsored by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Council Member Gale Brewer. It also has the support of City Comptroller William Thompson Jr., Adam Friedman, director of the Pratt Center for Community Development, and Brad Lander, senior fellow.

According to Yassky, the legislation requires city agencies to assess the specific service requirements needed to accompany a major rezoning project in order to prepare neighborhoods facing redevelopment. The agencies must present these reports to the council and the appropriate borough president and community board. “I know firsthand because of the district I represent that New York City has undergone an extraordinary amount of construction and development over the last few years,� said Yassky. “Unfortunately, much of this development has proceeded without accompanying infrastructure improvements.

“When this bill is enacted, neighborhoods will be prepared with the needed schools, subway and bus lines, trash disposal capabilities and fire and police needs, among others, that too often have been ignored during the development process.�

Added Gotbaum, “Develop-ment in our city affects all New Yorkers, and it is critical that city government have oversight over this process in order to protect the interests of residents. I am proud to co-sponsor Council Member Yassky’s bill, a bill that would not only help ensure the quality of life and safety of New Yorkers, but would also increase transparency and accountability for developers in our city."

Under the legislation, certain agencies would be required to conduct impact assessments, including the departments of Education, Fire and Police, Environmental Protection, Sanitation, Transportation and Parks.

These agencies will establish relevant and specific minimum neighborhood service standards that will serve to measure the impact of rezoning actions on neighborhood service levels.

Agency assessments will identify current levels of service in the impacted area, state potential changes brought on by the proposed development, and contain plans to implement the recommended improvements in a timely way, so as to allow time for the city to provide resources when they are needed, not after.

Currently, the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) only requires the City Council, community board, and City Planning to assess major real estate development proposals and major rezonings. This new legislation would ensure that impacts to city services as identified by the agencies themselves are assessed and mitigated specifically as well.

Prior to certifying a “major rezoning application,� each of the above-referenced agencies will review the application and submit a report to the Department of City Planning regarding the impact of the rezoning along with necessary changes in services or capital spending.

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net