Int. No. 70
By Council Members Michels and Provenzano; also Council Members Eldridge, Leffler, McCaffrey, Marshall, Robles and Sabini.
A Local Law to amend the New York City Charter in relation to notifying Council Members of district projects.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. The title and subdivision a of Section 195 of Chapter 8 of the New York City Charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
§195. Acquisitions of [office] space [.] for city use. Acquisitions by the city of office space or existing buildings for office use, whether by purchase, condemnation, exchange or lease, shall be subject to the following review and approval procedure:
a. The agency proposing any such acquisition shall file with the department of city planning a notice of intent to acquire. The department of city planning shall send such notice to the community board in which the proposed acquisition is located, [and] to all borough presidents and the affected council members.
§2. Section 196 of such charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
§ 196. Affected boards [and], borough presidents and council members. For purposes of this chapter: the term "affected community board" shall mean the community board for a community district in which land included in a plan or an application pursuant to this chapter is located; the term "affected borough president" shall mean the president of a borough in which land included in such a plan or an application is located; and a borough board shall be deemed "affected" if such a plan or application includes land within two or more community districts within the borough represented by such borough board[.]; and the term "affected council members" shall mean any council members who are ex-officio members of an affected community board in which land included in such a plan or application is located.
§3. Section 197-a.(c) of such charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
c. All plans proposed pursuant to this section shall be referred to the department of city planning for circulation by the department to all affected community boards, all affected borough boards, [and] all affected borough presidents and the affected council members, for review and written recommendation, except that any such plan need not be circulated to the agency or official that proposed such plan. All affected community boards and borough boards to which such a plan is referred shall hold a public hearing on any such plan, except that in the case of a plan that includes an entire borough or land in more than one borough, only one public hearing need be held in each affected borough. The city planning commission shall establish by rule the procedures and schedule for review of such plans, consistent with the provisions of this section. A community board or borough board may review a plan which does not involve land so located as to require its review if in its judgment the plan significantly affects the welfare of the district or borough served by such board. In such a case, the plan and any written recommendations relative thereto shall be made available to such board on request. Such board may hold its own public hearing on such plan if it desires and may submit its own written recommendations in regard thereto to the city planning commission.
§4. Sections 197-b. (a)and (b) of such charter are hereby amended to read as follows:
§ 197-b. Notification of plans and proposals. a. Advance notice of all preliminary and final plans of public agencies and public benefit corporations or of private agencies, entities or developers filed with the city that relate to the use, development or improvement of land subject to city regulation shall be given to the affected community board or boards, [and] the office of the affected borough president and the affected council members, provided that exceptions may be made in matters of no appreciable public concern by agency rule.
b. Copies of (1) all requests for proposals and other solicitations of proposals issued by or on behalf of the city, whether or not issued by an agency, a local development corporation or other entity, and (2) all letters of intent executed by or on behalf of the city, whether or not executed by an agency, a local development corporation or other entity, that relate to the private use or the disposition of city-owned land, shall be conveyed to the community boards where such land is located, [and] the office of the borough president and the affected council members where such land is located promptly after issuance or execution.
§5. Section 197-c. (d) of such charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
d. If a meeting involving a city agency and an applicant is convened to define or substantially redefine the overall scope of issues to be addressed in a draft environmental impact statement required by law for an application subject to review under this section, each affected community board, [and] each affected borough president and the affected council members shall receive advance notice of such meeting, and each shall have the right to send one representative to the meeting.
§6. Paragraph 7 of section 3020 of chapter 74 of such charter is hereby amended to read as follows:
7. In order to provide an opportunity for comment, in advance of any hearing on a proposed designation of a landmark, landmark site, interior landmark, scenic landmark or historic district, the commission shall send a notice of the proposed designation and the hearing to the city planning commission, all affected community boards, the affected council members who are ex-officio members of an affected community board, and the office of the borough president in whose borough the property or district is located.
Referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations.