By NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola<\/p>\n
The mayoral race is rightfully getting all of the attention when it comes to the ballots this November, but what\u2019s on the back of the ballot this year is just as important as what\u2019s on the front.<\/p>\n
This year, the ballot proposals on the back of the ballot \u2013 especially proposals 2, 3, and 4 \u2013 can, if voted through, dramatically change the way development and zoning is done in this city. And, in a place as already overdeveloped as Rockaway, this can have dire consequences. <\/p>\n
Right now, when major new developments are proposed in a neighborhood, community boards and local elected councilmembers can press for real benefits. As an elected official, I have fought for true affordable housing (not whatever developers deem to be affordable), improved services, and better community amenities when developments have come across my desk. This bargaining power comes from the ability to weigh in on the approval process. Developers know they cannot simply build whatever they want without at least some accountability to the community. That leverage is what ensures that growth is not simply about real estate profits, but also about the people who live in the areas under development.<\/p>\n
Proposals 2, 3, and 4 weaken this balance. They shift the process in ways that make it easier for developers to move projects forward without having to negotiate seriously with the community, and instead hand the power to a group of bureaucrats who more-likely-than-not have no real understanding of the localities they are seeking to change. <\/p>\n
Ask yourself: who really benefits from taking away your say in development? <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not working families. It\u2019s not renters looking for affordable housing. It\u2019s not seniors who rely on stable, safe neighborhoods. The ones who benefit are large developers, who would rather not be held accountable to the very people affected by their projects.<\/p>\n
New Yorkers have fought hard for decades to make sure our voices are heard in shaping our city. From the community board system, to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), to countless neighborhood coalitions, residents have stood up time and again to demand a seat at the table. These proposals undo much of that work by reducing the role of the community in critical decisions.<\/p>\n
We should all want a city that grows, welcomes new people, and continues to build. But growth must be fair, balanced, and accountable. When communities lose their voice, development happens to us, not with us. That is the fundamental issue at stake in this election.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let the misleading language on the ballot trick you. Proposals 2, 3, and 4 may look nice, but their true effect is to silence your neighborhood and hand more power to developers. <\/p>\n
And, while we\u2019re on the topic, Proposal 6 will also work to take away voices albeit in a different way. Prop 6 seeks to move elections from odd numbered years \u2013 which they are currently in \u2013 and put them on even numbered years to coincide with larger federal elections. <\/p>\n
This might sound inconsequential, but the end result is that voters become less informed about the people they are voting for on a local level. It\u2019s inevitable that, with the major networks blaring partisan information about national-level candidates, those individuals will take the spotlight away from the people who will actually have an immediate impact on your communities. As a result, voter attention will go towards those big names, and people won\u2019t do the kind of research on the city-level candidates \u2013 the ones who deal with the everyday issues that impact us most \u2013 in the way that they typically would.<\/p>\n
If we want to ensure that we have a fully informed electorate, then we need to make sure that city elections remain separate from national ones, so that our city politicians don\u2019t get their platforms drowned out in the hustle and bustle of larger elections.<\/p>\n
On Election Day, protect your voice and your community, and remember this as you head into the voting booth.<\/p>\n