Hochul, lawmakers near deal to speed up NY housing projects

Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders are nearing a deal to eliminate a lengthy environmental review for certain housing and infrastructure projects, a move the governor hopes will get apartments and condos built more quickly. But certain details remain under negotiation. That includes a limit on the number of housing units an individual project can have for the exemption to still apply, and what to do if it’s being built on an area known to have environmental concerns, such as a plot that was once a dry cleaning shop, according to lawmakers. “ We still want to make sure that there's no contamination of soil when you build even on a previously disturbed area,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters last week. SEQR has been on the books in New York since 1975. The landmark environmental-protection law requires either the state or a local government to determine if a project or other action could have a potential effect on the environment. If it could, then it’s subject to the lengthy review, known as an Environmental Impact Statement. But the law’s definition of “environment” is broad, accounting not only for the land, air and water but also “objects of historic or aesthetic significance,” existing population patterns and “neighborhood character,” among other things. Critics of the current law say it leads to delays as well as lawsuits, which add to the cost of the overall project. Hochul’s initial proposal would exempt housing projects of up to 250 units in New York City, or up to 500 units in mid-to-high-density areas, from the lengthy environmental review. Outside the city, it would apply to projects up to 100 units on “previously disturbed land,” meaning it already has buildings, “maintained lawns,” or had been previously developed. Projects would still be subject to applicable water and air permits, zoning laws and other local requirements. Along with housing projects, Hochul’s proposal would also exempt public parks and trails and certain water and sewer infrastructure projects from the review requirement. Environmental groups had been split on the governor’s proposal, with some arguing it would make it easier to build housing developments near public transit facilities, which has long been a goal for climate activists. Others feel it would claw back a landmark environmental protection. The state Senate, meanwhile, backed a similar measure in its one-house state budget proposal last month. But there are key differences. The legislative proposal is focused entirely on housing — not the additional infrastructure projects — and included different limits on housing units, including 1,000 units in New York City. ”You're giving something up in terms of environmental protection, but you're gaining it if people are driving less and you've got walkable communities and potentially transit-friendly communities,” Sen. Rachel May, a Syracuse Democrat said. “My goal is to steer the development toward those kinds of places where the environmental impact will be lower.” Sherman said Mamdani’s administration is largely comfortable with the governor’s proposed cap for New York City. “But obviously we wouldn't want to see anything lower than that,” she said. The state budget was due by April 1, but Hochul and lawmakers have blown past the deadline. The Legislature passed a seventh short-term budget extender on Monday. It lasts through Thursday. submitted by /u/Lisalovesreading [link] [comments]