City foils TransGas’s condemnation of park site

Court rules TransGas Energy’s condemnation is premature. TransGas Energy Systems proposed to construct a power plant along the East River waterfront in Williamsburg. It spent $1.5 million in March 2001 on an option to purchase the site, and, in 2002, filed for approval from the state Siting Board.

At Siting Board hearings, the City opposed the plan, testifying that it planned to rezone the entire Williamsburg neighborhood and create a waterfront park. In 2004, the … <Read More>


BSA permits bldg. to exceed limits of new rezoning

Owner claimed soil cleanup and structural repair made smaller building infeasible. Prior to the City’s 183-block rezoning of North Brooklyn, Selik Realty sought BSA approval to convert a three-story manufacturing building on North 7th Street and Meeker Avenue in Williamsburg into residential units and to add four additional stories. When the site was rezoned in May 2005, residential use became permitted as of right, but Selik maintained its BSA application, seeking approval of a building … <Read More>


NY Elections, Census and Redistricting Update 07/08/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Jeff Wice and Alexis Marking

VOTING RIGHTS

Attorney General To Intervene in Cheektowaga Voting Rights Act Challenge

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has informed the Erie County State Supreme Court that her office will intervene in the state voting rights act challenge filed against the Town of Cheektowaga over town board vote dilution. In that case, the town is challenging the constitutionality of the New York … <Read More>


City Planning Commission Votes to Approve Nine-Story Mixed-Use Building in Sheepshead Bay

On June 26, 2024, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the 3033 Avenue V Rezoning application. The application enables the construction of a nine-story mixed use development. The project is located in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and the current site consists of a one-story commercial building with eleven businesses on the north side of Avenue V between Ford and Coyle Streets. The project site is located across the street from the Nostrand Houses. 


NY Elections, Census and Redistricting Update 07/01/24

 

REDISTRICTING

Orange County Legislature Fails to Advance New Map

The Orange County Legislature failed to advance three county legislative draft maps to the public hearing stage after a meeting on July 26th lost its quorum of legislators necessary to move the maps to the next stage.  The county needs to have a new map in place before petitioning for the 2025 primary gets underway next year.


NY Elections, Census and Redistricting Update 6/17/24

EVENTS

June 18 Conference- N.Y. Redistricting: What Happened and What’s Next?

New York Law School will host a conference on redistricting from 9:30 to Noon at the school (located at 185 W. Broadway in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood). Panels will focus on the 2014 constitutional amendment, the post-2020 process and what happened, and next steps for a new constitutional amendment before the post-2030 process gets underway. 2022 Court Special Master Jonathan Cervas will keynote the event. … <Read More>