Pro-development individuals and organizations in the city of New York need a way to organize against the NIMBY folks themselves and the groups that support them. From sensible transit solutions to reasonable proposals for housing, commercial development, and whichever other solutions that can improve New York City, many such organizations are operating unencumbered. These syndicates are oftentimes engaged in muddying the waters, driving up the costs to taxpayers and removing any potential for specific, potentially-beneficial growth patterns in the future. This current, bogged-down, selfish, cowardly, emasculated state of public discourse is completely unacceptable, and should absolutely be stopped, especially when New York faces massive potential economic ruin.
What we are doing here is opening a discussion regarding ways we can potentially pigeonhole these groups, which on occasion requires an outsiderâs perspective. This is why this discussion, while it certainly is centered on New Yorkâs issues, is inclusive of any other city as well, as New Yorkâs economic reach is world-scale, and the stakes in this city affect every other city on the globe.
There are some NIMBY organizations that take anti-development actions I occasionally agree with; so I want to be extra careful not to paint them all with the same broad brush.
However, they all seem to have become well organized in their cooperative efforts to block new RE Developments in NYC. I do not see the same sort of unified efforts on behalf of the YIMBY or pro-development people in having a voice. I believe this type of âlistâ is helpful in taking action and spreading awareness among the many pro-development people in this city; a group I believe too long has remained a âsilent majorityâ.
I am just a man who sees something wrong with the way things are going. Like you, I occasionally agree with some of these groups, but in the vast majority of cases, I disagree with their âlogicalâ outcome.
They send groups of 10, 20 or more people to community board meetings to hold up signs, they put up a strong front against nearly all new development projects, and most importantly of all, they cost the taxpayers billions in lost revenue over the past 5 years alone. You know which project to which I am referencing, no need to confirm it. Pro-development folks are the silent majority, thatâs a fact. They just donât prefer to do battle. Sometimes itâs the only option though. Sometimes, youâve got to hit the mattresses. With this list, we can inform different entities and individuals about these groups and finally start pushing back.
Well said, and perfectly understood. If this thread does not cause problems, or interfere with the stated objectives of the YIMBY website; this will be good information to post here for our mutual edification.
That being said: add âThe Soho Allianceâ to the list.
This is a particularly timely addition to the list as the City Council has recently approved a major rezoning change for the SoHo area. The only problem is that we are not âstake holdersâ in these matters, we are effectively âdisinterested partiesâ and as such will invest only so much time/effort to the cause - unlike our opposition unfortunately.
The âformerâ Acronym was SAA - Soho Artist Alliance. The original group did some good work helping artists who were converting unused industrial lofts into live/work spaces. This organization then evolved into the Soho Alliance; which in my opinion is a group of NIMBY activists who highjacked the original intent of the SAA. Who could argue the need to provide housing for Artists, or to stop rampant gentrification, or other such âaltruisticâ goals; but that may no longer be the purpose or at least outcome - this is the very definition of âinstitutional captureâ.
Signing off on this subject for now: hoping this thread is the start some something truly âgoodâ.
Youâve got two;
The West Side Community Organization
The Upper West Side Coalition of Block Associations and Community Groups, which is made up of these block associationsâŚ
West 64-67th Street Block Association
West 69th Street Block Association
West 70th Street Block Association
West 71stStreet Block Association
West 75th Street Block Association
West 78th Street Block Association
West 79th Street Block Association
West 81st Street Block Association
Theodore Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association/West 81st Street
West 83rd Street Block Association
West 80s Neighborhood Association
âŚand has these people as their board of directors.
Chris Giordano, w64-67, President
Dale Brown, w79, Vice President
Gary Pelton, w70, Treasurer
Eileen Vazquez, w69, Director of Community Organizing
Aron Berlinger, w83, Vice Treasurer
Steve Anderson, TRPNA/w81, Chair, Board of Directors
Keep on the watch for these guys attempting to limit density apart of the Empire Plan Project by Gov. Hochul (between Hudson Yards & Midtown) Quoted below
"Earlier this month, Governor Hochul proposed eliminating the longstanding, reasonable, and necessary cap on the size of residential developments in New York State, which limits it to a floor area ratio of 12 (12 FAR). To give context, the over 1000-ft.-tall supertall towers of 57th Streetâs âBillionaireâs Rowâ were built under zoning that only allows 10 FAR for residential development. Lifting the cap would allow real estate developers, with the approval of the City, to build even larger supertall structures and massive developments than the current very generous rules allow.
Mayor de Blasio previously sought this change from the State legislature, which we and allies successfully opposed. The current Governor has re-raised this proposal in the context of affordable housing and the desire to allow conversions of large office towers, hotels, and other commercial buildings to residential uses. We support such possibilities, and there are means at the city and stateâs disposal to allow residential conversions of larger buildings, and to build needed affordable housing, without eliminating the cap. Residential structures of over 12 FAR will almost certainly be entirely or largely luxury developments, and will only benefit real estate developers and the very wealthy, instead of average New Yorkers and the communities in which they will be located. Lifting the 12 FAR cap opens a potential Pandoraâs Box of overdevelopment in New York City neighborhoods, and should not be approved."
This will likely only impact significant swathes of Manhattan and really isolated parts of Brooklyn and Queens near the East River waterfront. Manhattan needs to get back to the population it had in the 1920âs, it was actually much higher back then for that borough, all the people lived there. The bridges and tunnels allowed the city to spread out sustantially, not to mention the economic conditions which changed as a result, which wad good, but Manhattan generally needs to retool for more residents itself.
Would love to see a ban on exclusive single family zoning within the city. Even if it doesnât do anything currently it will pay dividends down the line and will be better for the health of the city.
So they donât want more students, in a college town? Those students are the life blood of the town.
Iâm just saying, Iâm sure theyâd change their mind if you gave me a few rounds with them in the cage.
