NEW YORK CITY — Voters will have several important decisions to make when polls open for early voting this Saturday, with candidates for mayor, city council, and several local offices on the ballot.
This year, the ballot also has six questions for voters to vote “yes” or “no” on across various topics to amend the city’s laws.
These six questions span several civic issues but the main focus this year is on housing and development. Two of these ballot questions ask if voters would let the city fast-track certain development approval processes, and the third would add a governing board to vote on affordable housing development applications.
Find out what’s happening in Upper West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The rest of the questions are more of a grab-bag, including one about building an olympic stadium on a state-owned park, and another about moving city election dates to align with the presidential election cycle. There’s also a question asking voters if the city should make a digital city map of New York to streamline operations.
Here they are, with a brief explanation on what they mean and why they are on the ballot.
Find out what’s happening in Upper West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.Ballot Proposal 1
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Allows skiing and related trail facilities on state forest preserve land. The site is 1,039 acres. Requires State to add 2,500 acres of new forest land in Adirondack Park.”
The ballot will give voters two options: “A yes vote authorizes new ski trails and related facilities in the Adirondack forest preserve. A no vote does not authorize this use.”
What this means: This ballot question asks voters if the state can allow Olympic skiing and related trail facilities to expand onto protected forest preserve land deep upstate near Canada.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York State constitution, which requires statewide approval.
Ballot Proposal 2
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Fast track publicly financed affordable housing. Fast track applications delivering affordable housing in the community districts that produce the least affordable housing, significantly reducing review time. Maintain Community Board review.”
The ballot will give voters two options: “‘Yes’ fast tracks applications at the Board of Standards and Appeals or City Planning Commission. ‘No’ leaves affordable housing subject to longer review and final decision at City Council.”
What this means: Right now, most housing development projects go through a mandatory public review process, which lasts seven months and goes through many layers of review from community boards, City Council and the City Planning Commission.
If voters approve it, the public review process will be shortened to around a two-month process for projects that yield 100 percent affordable housing. Community Boards and the City Planning Commission would still get to have their input heard, but City Council would no longer get the final say.
This proposal, if approved, would also make it so that the City Planning Commission, not the City Council, would ultimately have authority over all new housing proposals, including market-rate ones, in the 12 community districts that have built the least amount of affordable housing in the past five years. Those districts include parts of Northeast Queens, Staten Island’s South Shore and Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York City Charter, which is the city’s code of laws and requires citywide approval.
Ballot Proposal 3
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Simplify review of modest amounts of additional housing and minor infrastructure projects, significantly reducing review time. Maintain Community Board review, with final decision by the City Planning Commission.
The ballot will give voters two options: “‘Yes’ simplifies review for limited land-use changes, including modest housing and minor infrastructure projects. ‘No’ leaves these changes subject to longer review, with final decision by City Council.”
What this means: This is another ballot proposal that would give the City Planning Commission, not City Council, the final say on small housing expansions and minor infrastructure projects in the city. This new process would shorten review times but keep Community Board input.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York City Charter, which is the city’s code of laws and requires citywide approval.
Ballot Proposal 4
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board with the Council Speaker, local Borough President, and Mayor to review Council actions that reject or change applications creating affordable housing.
The ballot will give voters two options: “‘Yes’ creates the three-member Affordable Housing Appeals Board to reflect Council, borough, and citywide perspectives. ‘No’ leaves affordable housing subject to the Mayor’s veto and final decision by City Council.”
What this means: It’s long been the status quo that when a new development is proposed, the City Council typically follows the lead of the member representing the district where the project would be built.
The proposal would let developers and the Department of City Planning appeal City Council decisions on projects that include affordable housing, allowing them to take denied or modified rezoning plans to a new three-person panel. That panel — made up of the mayor, the City Council speaker, and the borough president for the affected area — would have the power to overturn the Council’s decision.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York City Charter, which is the city’s code of laws and requires citywide approval.
Ballot Proposal 5:
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Consolidate borough map office and address assignment functions, and create one digital City Map at Department of City Planning. Today, the City Map consists of paper maps across five offices.”
The ballot will give voters two options: “‘Yes’ creates a consolidated, digital City Map. ‘No’ leaves in place five separate map and address assignment functions, administered by Borough President Offices.”
What this means: This proposal aims to further modernize the city’s land use process by digitizing thousands of old paper maps to make it easier for developers and planners to propose zoning changes.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York City Charter, which is the city’s code of laws and requires citywide approval.
Ballot Proposal 6:
What you’ll see on the ballot: “Move the City’s primary and general election dates so that City elections are held in the same year as Federal Presidential elections, when permitted by state law.”
The ballot will give voters two options: “‘Yes’ moves City elections to the same year as Federal Presidential Elections, when permitted by state law. ‘No’ leaves laws unchanged.”
What this means: Right now, the elections are staggered, but more people turn out for federal elections than for local elections. This proposal would align city elections with federal presidential years, so offices like Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council are voted on the same year as the presidency.
Why it’s on the ballot: This proposal is on the ballot because it would change the New York City Charter, which is the city’s code of laws and requires citywide approval. However, it would require a change to New York State law to take effect.
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