Plans to rezone the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx were shot down by the subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. When I walked into the hearing in the Council Chambers just now, members had already voted 17-to-1 to “approve a motion to deny” the rezoning, according to Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist working against the plan.
Melinda Katz, the outgoing chairperson of the Land Use committee, abstained.
The sole dissenter, I’m told, was Helen Sears, a member from Queens who lost re-election this September.
The failure of the bill to pass the committee means that when the full City Council meets later today, supporters will most likely not be able to generate enough votes to pass it.
“This is a real precedent-setting move,” said Lipsky, who noted that critics were motivated by the developer’s unwillingness to guarantee “living wages” for jobs created at the site, and that other legislation dealing with “living wage” jobs will be coming before the City Council in the future.
