Chin, Brewer aim to stall planned towers along Two Bridges waterfront

Council member Margaret Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer are moving to force three towers planned for the Two Bridges waterfront to go through the city’s land use review process.

Chin and Brewer are preparing an application to the Department of City Planning to force projects planned by JDS Development Group, L+M Development Partners and CIM Group and Starrett Development to go through the Uniform Land Use Review Process, Politico reported. The City Council would vote on the projects at the end of the ULURP process, and the government body usually defers to the local council member (in this case Chin) on such matters. The review process would likely allow Brewer and Chin to demand shorter towers.

The application follows the passage of related legislation in October, which allows Council members and other officials to bypass the pre-application process before submitting their own zoning text amendments. The mayor has yet to sign the bill.

“It’s clear that we need more tools to empower everyday residents in the land use process, not less,” Chin said in a statement. “It’s my hope that this legislation would help Two Bridges residents and groups across the city work more closely with their elected officials, and I will continue to advocate for more ways to strengthen the community’s voice in the land use process.” [Politico] — Kathryn Brenzel