INWOOD — City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez has postponed a vote on the controversial Sherman Plaza rezoning project, he announced Monday night, on the heels of a blistering Twitter war with constituents and a shouting match at a rally and march over the weekend.
“I have read your emails, from those of you in support as well as those of you with concerns and fears about what a rezoning could mean,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “These perspectives are of the utmost importance and weighing what is best for the community going forward will determine our final decision.”
Rodriguez added that “passions are running high” in the community over the project, which was first introduced to the public in March as the first application using the mayor’s rezoning plan.
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Developers Washington Square Partners and Acadia are seeking to rezone their site at 4650 Broadway to allow for a building that’s taller than what’s currently allowed in exchange for more affordable units, according to the application.
Their first application requested to build a 23-story building, but was later reduced to a 17 stories maximum after urging from Manhattan Borought President Gale Brewer. Since then, the project was given the greenlight by Community Board 12 and the City Planning Commission, and went before the City Council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises last month. Several community organizations have also held meetings and launched a petition to try to stop the rezoning, including a rally on Saturday.
Rodriguez reiterated his stance that the choice to vote for or against the rezoning proposal is not simple, and that by voting no, “there is absolutely no opportunity to build desperately needed affordable housing.” A yes vote, he said, would allow developers to create “50 percent of the units below market rate, with 30 percent of the units at deeper affordability.” He also said negotiations with the developer have gone on to produce lower rent for the retail space and a rent-free community space.
Critics took issue with Rodriguez's assessment, saying they were concerned the developer had not committed to the 50 percent affordable units Rodriguez cited, instead promising to offer just 20 percent of the units at 40 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). The remaining 30 percent, the developer said during the City Planning Commission meeting in May, would have to be worked out with HPD.
Rodriguez did not reveal in his statement what the postponed date for the rezoning meeting would be, or what repercussion a postponement will have on the application process. His office did not respond to several requests for comment.
“As passions are running high when it comes to this issue, I implore residents to consider our options carefully,” Rodriguez wrote in his statement. “I will be in touch soon about when a final decision will be made as well as what/when our vote will be.”
