Upzoning Passed by NY City Council

Before the vote, homeowners protested the upzoning plan outside Councilmember Marjorie Velazquez' office.

Velazquez is a ‘No-Show’ at Upzoning Vote 

Appears Remotely

By Dan Gesslein 

Bronx Voice 

October 12, 2022

BRONX - Ignoring the outrage from tax paying home owners, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the Throggs Neck Upzoning plan which would put a high-rise apartment building in an already dense homeowner community.  

Velazquez, who came under fire, for recently changing her support for the upzoning, failed to show up for the vote at City Hall. 

“Our city is facing a housing crisis, and all of us, in every community, have to be part of the solution. And that doesn’t mean that we have to hand over the keys to developers, and it doesn’t mean that we have to disregard local concerns and input,” Velazquez said remotely. “We can achieve the shared goals of the city and local communities, and we have accomplished that. For me, the priority has been and always will be building for our local community and giving my constituents more opportunities for good-paying, family-sustaining jobs, as well as affordable housing.”

Velazquez who appeared remotely during the vote expressed support for the plan which has little support in her district.

“It is a big disappointment for the LDGM (Low density growth management) community that our council person did not protect those that she is supposed to represent. The community made their voices heard and she refused to listen,”said Michele Torrioni, President of the Pelham Bay Taxpayers & civic Association. “This should have been brought to the community at the onset. It will have a profound effect on those who invested in their community.”

Ignoring scores of protests from long-time residents, homeowners, landlords and business leaders, Velazquez gave her blessing to the proposal. Over the weekend residents voiced their frustration at Velazquez’ support by staging a protest outside her office to the chants of “Throw her out.” 

The Council voted 48 - 0 to approve the upzoning plan which allows developers to construct 348 units in an apartment building which is currently the site of Foodtown. Some 199 units are to be set aside for affordable housing for seniors and veterans. 

NOT factored into all the support for the project is the fact that Pelham Bay and Throggs Neck have recently become densely populated as new home owners have bought up one and two-family houses and rented them out- sometimes to renters on public programs. 

PS 14, which sits directly across the street from the proposed high-rise, recently had an extension built. Yet that new extension is already filled up with students. Lehman High School, the only one in the area, for over a decade has been over capacity by hundreds of students.  

“They’re trying to kill this community for some reason,” one angry home owner said. “They tried to put a methadone clinic near the church. They turned the old Our Lady of Mercy Hospital into a shelter and we have homeless sleeping on Crosby Avenue. Don’t even get me started on that fiasco at Orchard Beach with the migrants in tents.

“I’m done,” he said. “Good luck finding people to pay for all this mess when the only people left living here will be on programs.”