Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Council members Oddo and McMahon and BP Molinaro: don’t even think about m-zones until task force study is complete
Staten Island, NY – New York City Council Minority Leader James S. Oddo (R- Mid-Island/Brooklyn), Council Member Michael E. McMahon (D- North Shore), and Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro held a press conference today at Borough Hall where they announced that they will not support any residential development in manufacturing zones until the Growth Management Task Force completes its study and urged the Department of City Planning to do the same.
“Collectively, we need to make a definitive statement that rational planning must first occur before we allow any residential development in these manufacturing areas,” said Council Member Oddo. “I believe it is too easy to allow this area to be ‘piecemealed,’ as much of the Island has already been, and it is imperative that we actually have a plan in place before out-of-control building occurs in our manufacturing zones.”
As all residents of Staten Island are painfully aware, until the recent reforms of the Staten Island Growth Management Task Force, a lack of planning and foresight led to the great crisis of over-development that will be felt for generations to come.
‘We want to make sure that we do not have haphazard development in manufacturing zones on Staten Island,” said Borough President Molinaro. “I think we are all on board in wanting to make the appropriate changes to protect our neighborhoods from out-of-character development.”
“Over-zealous developers prevented from improper development in residential areas because of our efforts, now lick their lips at our manufacturing and industrial zones on the North and West Shores, said Council Member McMahon. “We vow to stop residential development in these areas until the Task Force can make the changes needed to protect Staten Island.”
The Task Force will reconvene in March to consider text changes to the Zoning Resolution regarding manufacturing zones and other issues.
February 28, 2005