Nearly 30 City Council Members Call Willets Point Plan 'Unacceptable'

Late last week, when the Bloomberg administration announced it would begin the process of rezoning the neighborhood of Willets Point without a developer, it did so over the objections of the City Council, including Land Use Committee Chair Melinda Katz.

So it can't be a complete surprise that today, a number of critics of the plan, led by Hiram Monserrate, the most vocal opponent, have written a letter protesting the planned redevelopment that says, “This plan is unacceptable, and we wish to inform you that without significant modifications, we will strongly oppose it, leaving no chance of it moving forward.”

Willets Point is the bustling triangle of land behind Shea Stadium, home to plenty of car repair shops but no sewage lines or sidewalks, which gives it a grimy (and cinematic!) look.

The redevelopment plans would take out all the auto shops and replace them with housing, office space, hotel rooms and possibly a convention center.

“The plan provides no guarantees that the displaced workers and small businesses will be treated fairly or compensated with meaningful benefits to the surrounding communities such as housing affordable to the average family,” says the letter.

This objection comes amid problems with other major development projects Bloomberg has pushed--like Atlantic Yards and Hudson Yards.

The group is also calling for one third of all housing built at the site to be reserved for people making less than $25,000 annually. The most recent percentage of affordable housing the city offered was 20 percent.

Also signed onto the letter are: Tony Avella, Leroy Comrie, David Weprin, Mathieu Eugene, Lew Fidler, Jimmy Vacca, Joel Rivera, Diana Reyna, Sara Gonzalez, Tom White, Vinny Gentile, Inez Dickens and Oliver Koppell.

Here's the letter:

The Honorable Robert C. Lieber

Deputy Mayor of Economic Development

City Hall New York, NY 10007

Dear Deputy Mayor Lieber,

We are writing to adamantly oppose moving forward with the current redevelopment plan for Willets Point. The plan is deeply-flawed and the opportunity for public consideration has been dangerously absent. We disagree with your decision to pursue ULURP certification for this project on Monday, April 21st, 2008. As elected officials, we urge you to reconsider this plan and to engage in a more accessible and transparent process.
This sweeping plan includes the purchase or use of eminent domain to acquire 61 acres of privately-owned land. This plan would displace more than 250 businesses, which employ 1,711 workers. The plan provides no guarantees that the displaced workers and small businesses will be treated fairly or compensated with meaningful benefits to the surrounding communities such as housing affordable to the average family.

This plan is unacceptable, and we wish to inform you that without significant modifications, we will strongly oppose it, leaving no chance of it moving forward. If the plan does not meet basic standards of public benefit, there can be no justification for this broad use of public authority and funds, and we will not allow the redevelopment to take place.

We have frequently expressed our desire to work with this administration to create a successful redevelopment plan. We are disappointed that our deep reservations have gone repeatedly unaddressed. Businesses that depend on their relationship to each other should be relocated in clusters. Existing workers should be provided with a range of good options for their economic futures, with special programs offered to the most vulnerable among them. Permanently affordable housing should be developed on the majority of the site. A third of the housing should be reserved for households earning $25,000 a year or less, and another third for households in the low-moderate and middle income ranges.

Your decision to push the project forward into ULURP without public discussion indicates to us that you are not serious about ensuring that the project meets the basic standards of public benefit and fairness required for a redevelopment of this magnitude and this level of public investment.
As the plan currently stands, it has no chance of surviving the public review process. We urge you to come to the table and work with us. We need to address the principled concerns that have been expressed by community members and elected officials alike, in time to revise the plan in advance of the first public hearing on the project. It is in everyone’s interest for a successful and sustainable Willets Point. We look forward to working with you to make this a reality.

Sincerely,

Hiram Monserrate Tony Avella
Council Member District 21 Council Member District 19

John Liu Leroy C. Comrie
Council Member District 20 Council Member District 27

Helen Sears Eric N. Gioa
Council Member District 25 Council Member District 26

James Sanders, Jr David Weprin
Council Member District 31 Council Member District 23

Letitia James Mathieu Eugene
Council Member District 35 Council Member District 40

Charles Barron Lewis A. Fidler
Council Member District 42 Council Member District 46

Annabel Palma David Yassky
Council Member District 18 Council Member District 33

Albert Vann James Vacca
Council Member District 36 Council Member District 13

Bill de Blasio Joel Rivera
Council Member District 39 Council Member District 15

Rosie Mendez Diana Reyna
Council Member District 2 Council Member District 34

Miguel Martinez Sara M. Gonzalez
Council Member District 10 Council Member District 38

Joseph Addabbo, Jr Thomas White
Council Member District 32 Council Member District 28

Darlene Mealy Vincent J. Gentile
Council Member District 41 Council Member District 43

James Gennaro Inez Dickens
Council Member District 24 Council Member District 9

G. Oliver Koppell
Council Member District 1