But as Bloomberg promoted the project, 29 of 51 City Council members voiced their objections, saying the plan provides no guarantees that the displaced workers and businesses will be treated fairly.
In a letter to Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber, the council members, led by Hiram Monserrate of Corona, indicated that if the plan does not meet basic standards of public benefit, “there can be no justification for this broad use of public authority and funds and we will not allow the redevelopment to take place.”
The letter demands that a majority of the housing be affordable, with a third reserved for households earning $25,000 a year or less and another third for low-moderate and middle-income housing.
Other Queens council members who signed the letter include Tony Avella of Bayside, John Liu of Flushing, Leroy Comrie of St. Albans, Helen Sears of Jackson Heights, Eric Gioia of Sunnyside, James Sanders Jr. of Laurelton, David Weprin of Hollis, Joseph Addabbo Jr. of Howard Beach, Thomas White of South Ozone Park and James Gennaro of Jamaica Estates.
The only borough representatives who didn’t sign it are Peter Vallone Jr. of Astoria and Melinda Katz of Forest Hills. The 30th District seat held by Dennis Gallagher, who resigned, is now vacant.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn was not happy that the plan is going forward despite such major opposition. “When a majority of council members signal their concern about a project, all parties should take notice,” she said. “While there is still time to work out any differences, I am disappointed that the plan was certified when there is clearly such adamant opposition in the council.”
The city wants to redevelop the area —across the street from the $600 million Mets’ Citi Field stadium — into a 60-acre neighborhood with housing, a school, hotel, retail and office space and a small convention center. It currently is home to 250 businesses, many of them auto repair and parts shops. The streets are unpaved and loaded with potholes. There are no sewers or sidewalks.
In order to accomplish this, the city needs to rezone the area from M3-1, which allows manufacturing and commercial use, to C4-4, which permits commercial and residential buildings. This is done through the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Process.
Public hearings will begin on the community board level, proceed to the Borough President’s Office, the City Planning Commission and finally the City Council. Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of C.B. 7, said on Monday that the board’s Land Use Committee would hold its first Willets Point meeting on May 5. It will not be heard by the full community board until June.
But according to Monserrate’s letter to the city, the current project has little hope of passage. “As the plan currently stands, it has no chance of surviving the public review process. We urge you to come to the table and work with us.”
Business owners in Willets Point have never been happy with the plan, saying they don’t want to move their established businesses and that the city has not worked in good faith with them.
Two weeks ago, 10 of the largest businesses and land owners there filed a lawsuit against the city demanding basic services such as sewers and paved streets. Their attorney believes the city’s project won’t go forward and they are asking for basic improvements to the area’s infrastructure. G.L. Soni, owner of House of Spices India in Willets Point, thinks it would be cheaper for the city to invest $40 million in such improvements.
Thomas Mina, another business owner, believes the city is trying to portray the business owners as uncooperative and money hungry so they can justify the use of eminent domain at the end of the ULURP process.
The city has indicated that it hopes to acquire and relocate businesses through the winter of 2009, with the environmental cleanup to begin in 2010. The overall project is expected to take 10 years.
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