CITY HALL, NEW YORK — On Thursday, Council Member Francisco Moya issued the following statement regarding Justice Verna L. Saunders’ ruling to annul the Inwood neighborhood-rezoning:

“I wholeheartedly support Justice Saunders’ decision to annul this rezoning and applaud the advocates who brought this case before her. If it weren’t for these dedicated activists, Inwood would surely have been turned into something nobody was prepared for — not the residents who live there now and not the researchers who conducted an incomplete environmental review.

“According to the ruling, the City failed to fully consider the effects of this massive neighborhood-rezoning. These reviews are required and are instrumental in allowing community boards, residents and City Council Members to make informed decisions about how neighborhoods grow and change.  

“I can’t help but wonder what previous reviews got wrong or missed entirely. This case highlights, once again, exactly why we need to pass INT. 1487 and INT. 1531. We have to look back at previous rezonings to see what these environmental reviews got right and, critically, what they got wrong so we can improve this process.

“Rezonings always change lives. Let’s make sure those changes are for the better.” 

About Francisco Moya

Council Member Francisco Moya represents the New York City Council’s 21st District, which encompasses Corona, East Elmhurst, LeFrak City and parts of Jackson Heights. He chairs the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and sits on seven other committees: Civil Service and Labor; Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations; Finance; Immigration; Land Use; Parks and Recreation; and Hospitals. Council Member Moya also serves as the vice co-chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus (BLAC). For more information, please visit council.nyc.gov/francisco-moya.

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