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Willet's Point rezoning faces opposition from council

By David Freedlander | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

April 22, 2008

A majority of the City Council has lined up against Mayor Bloomberg's plan to rezone a long-neglected corner of Queens, putting in jeopardy one of the signature initiatives of the rest of his term.

In a letter released yesterday afternoon to Robert Lieber, deputy mayor of economic development, 29 of the council's 51 members called the proposal to remake Willets Point "deeply flawed" and vowed to stop it unless substantial changes are made.

"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," the letter states.

Often called the "Calcutta of New York City," Willets Point is a collection of auto body shops and small warehouses that have rooted their for generations. The area lacks basic roads, sanitation or sewage.

The Department of City Planning yesterday certified the rezoning plan, kicking off a seven-month review and public-hearing process.

The city's plan calls for nearly constructing whole cloth a neighborhood next to the Mets' new Citi Field, with housing, hotels, and a convention center.

In a statement, the mayor said "our plan will transform what is now a highly contaminated area into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood, with new housing, parks and thousands of jobs."

But critics have lambasted the administration for its willingness to seize property through eminent domain.

"You have folks in Willets Point who have worked every day there for generations, and now the city wants to go scoop them out and use the threat of eminent domain to get rid of them," said Hiram Monserrate (D-Elmhurst) who represents the area and is leading the campaign against it. "The issue of eminent domain is going to have a real impact on the property owners of this city."

Others said that the plan to get rid of the chop shops and small factories will result in the loss of hundreds of jobs, and said the city was not guaranteeing enough affordable housing in return.

"The city has abandoned this part of Queens for decades by not providing vital services. They can't now come along and say the area is blighted and so we need to get rid of it," said Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside.) "It's the city's fault that it's blighted. This is Soviet-style intervention."

The question remains if the council will hold firm against the mayor's wishes. Bloomberg has so far proposed 76 rezonings in his time as mayor, and all have been approved.

The last time the council voiced strong opposition to a Bloomberg-backed initiative was his congestion pricing plan. But some last minute arm-twisting by the mayor and Speaker Christine Quinn lead the council to eventually approve the measure. That plan later died in Albany.

"The going-along-to-get-along has been happening for too long," said Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside.) "I think we are tired of the mayor and the Department of City Planning telling us what's in our best interests. They've got this whole government process turned around."