CUOMO’S ‘UNFAIR’ PAGE CITY LAND GRAB
State backs down a bit on land grab
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo is pushing a late plan to be included in the state budget that would potentially allow the state to grab land around Penn Station for development.
The proposal opened not only yet another rift with City Hall but also with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and several state lawmakers — and it’s not as harsh as originally planned.
“Penn Station is in imminent need, it’s a public safety hazard,” Cuomo said. “There are 600,000 people there every day. We have a new age of terrorism, and Penn Station could be a dangerous circumstance if we don’t find ways to do more access and egress.”
According to a draft of a proposal circulating Tuesday and Wednesday, Cuomo’s plan would allow the state to take properties from Sixth to Eighth Aves. and 30th to 34th Sts.
It would also have exempted any proposed development for that area from all city regulations except the building code.
That would have allowed development of the land to skip zoning requirements, environmental reviews and approvals from the state Public Authorities Control Board.
It also likely would have meant the state, not the city, would keep the property taxes generated from the new development.
“It completely erases any role for the city, local officials or the surrounding community,” Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen said. “No environmental review. The state redirecting or abating all taxes from new buildings. It’s beyond the pale.”
Johnson (D-Manhattan), who has found himself caught between the feuding governor and Mayor de Blasio, ripped the plan.
“If this goes through, the state will be able to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants in one of the busiest sections of Manhattan,” Johnson said. “It’s not fair to this city, which must be able to control its destiny. And it’s not fair to the public, who will be denied any type of legitimate review process. This plan must be stopped.”
But late Wednesday afternoon, Cuomo officials said the details of the plan were already outdated and that any new proposal in the budget would require all the usual approvals.
Cuomo spokeswoman Dani Lever said that the proposal being discussed is to allow the MTA and the state economic development agency to continue improvements at Penn Station.
She said the state is already building a new train hall across the street, “but we must also improve the conditions at Penn.”
“Our proposal is in accordance with all existing laws governing such projects in terms of planning, consultation with community leaders and elected officials, environmental reviews and local government reviews,” Lever said.
But skeptical city and some state officials said they are waiting to see the exact language of what the governor is proposing.
“Any redevelopment of Penn Station must involve community input. Period, end of story,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan).
Meanwhile, Cuomo and state leaders were still unable to reach agreement on a final budget that is due by Sunday.
State leaders have been hoping to pass the spending plan in advance of the Passover and Easter holidays this weekend, though time is quickly running out.
Left out of the budget was the Child Victims Act, which left advocates raging at the GOP Senate.
“The Senate Republicans choose to protect those who prey on children. Justice delayed is justice denied, and these delays cannot and should not go on any longer,” said Gary Greenberg, founder of the Fighting for Children PAC and Protect NY Kids.