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November 13, 2008
City Council Caves, Supports Willets Point Eminent Domain
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn
DDDB runs down the selling out of Willets Point property owners.
The City Council and Bloomberg administration have reached agreement to approve the Willets Point rezoning plan which is dependent on the threat, use, and abuse of eminent domain.
Led by councilman Hiram Monserrate, a majority of councilmembers had said they would oppose the rezoning unless there was an improved "affordable" housing plan and eminent domain was taken off the table. Crains quoted Monserrate in September:
“I look forward to finally having an open discussion and solution on the issues that the administration has so far not resolved—guaranteed affordable housing, fair-market compensation and relocation plans, traffic mitigation plans and a commitment to take eminent domain off the table," Mr. Monserrate said in a statement.
(Emphasis added)But on the day before the Council's vote on the project, Monserrate, Speaker Quinn, ACORN's Bertha Lewis and Mayor Mike Bloomberg (according the Times "an improbable cast of allies," even though the selling out came like clockwork) announced an affordable housing deal and that the "rezoning" of Willets Point—including the right for the City to threaten and use eminent domain—would pass in a planned Thursday vote.
No mention was made about taking eminent domain off the table. It is still there.
Posted by eric at November 13, 2008 2:35 PM