Pols blast Midtown East rezoning plan ahead of crucial vote

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s rezoning plan is inching closer to the goal line, but community opponents of the 73-block project have not given up trying to stop the proposal.

State Senators Brad Hoylman and Liz Krueger, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and seven Manhattan community boards counted inadequate transit and too-cheap air rights among a list of 10 problems with the plan. The community boards’ chief concern is that the plan does not provide adequate environmental protections. The group gathered outside City Hall on Tuesday to tout their campaign against the changes.

“If the goal is to generate funding for transportation improvements, which anyone who rides the 4-5-6 [subway trains] knows is desperately needed, then this proposal will surely be a failure,” Hoylman said. “We’re not opposed to new or larger buildings, but we are opposed to a fire-sale on air rights when there is so much to be done in the neighborhood.”

The City Planning Commission overwhelmingly approved the proposal last week. The City Council is set to vote on it by November. [DNAinfo] — Mark Maurer