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East Harlem Community Board Rejects De Blasio's Zoning Plan

By Gustavo Solis | November 25, 2015 3:32pm | Updated on November 26, 2015 4:20pm
 Residents ask the board to reject the mayor's zoning plan Monday night. Community Board 11 voted against the plan.
Residents ask the board to reject the mayor's zoning plan Monday night. Community Board 11 voted against the plan.
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Andrew Padilla

EAST HARLEM — Add El Barrio to the list of community boards opposed to the mayor’s zoning change proposal.

Community Board 11 voted against both changes — Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability on Monday.

"It's clear residents throughout NYC think these rezonings will make the city even less equitable that it already is," said Andrew Padilla, an activist and filmmaker opposed to the plan.

The vote came one day before Mayor Bill de Blasio downplayed the role of community boards in the process.  

“Community Boards are appointed to give input,” he said. “The folks that are elected by all the people, the City Council members and the mayor, have to make the final decision.”

In the weeks leading up to Monday's vote, local organizations criticized the plan and asked the board to vote against it.

The board opposed MIH because the affordability component does not meet the needs of the residents, and developers have various options to opt out including building off-site housing and paying out of the program, according to the resolution passed by the board.

They rejected ZQA because of potential parking loss and the lack of permanent affordability for senior housing.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is set to vote on the plan Monday. After that it will go back to the Department of City Planning and then to the City Council.