Senate kills bill that would have paved way for larger buildings in NYC

The state Senate has quashed a bill that would have made it significantly easier for developers to build taller, denser residential buildings in New York City.

Legislators voted down a bill that would have eliminated the residential floor area ratio, which has been set at 12 since 1961, according to Brownstoner. A similar proposal also failed to pass in 2015 and 2016.

Bill S6760 would have allowed for exceptions to the cap if “otherwise provided in the zoning resolution of the City of New York,” according to CityLand. The Senate introduced the bill by including language in its budget that amends New York’s Multiple Dwelling Law.

Critics of the bill, which died in committee, lambasted it as a giveaway to the real estate industry, while supporters like the Real Estate Board of New York have argued that it would lead to more affordable housing.

The Regional Plan Association supports lifting the cap as well, issuing a report in February saying that doing so would help fill the need for more working- and middle-class housing.

The bill would have led to significantly fewer restrictions on development in some of the densest areas in the city, including Downtown Brooklyn, which has seen a massive influx of high rises over the past few years. [Brownstoner and CityLand] – Eddie Small