By Stephen Stirling
The future of Willets Point is in the City Council's hands.
Last week, as expected, the City Planning Commission voted 11-1 to approve plans to transform the hardscrabble 62 acres of land into a sprawling residential and commercial neighborhood, leaving the City Council as the final judge on the redevelopment plan that has polarized many in the borough.
Since the majority of the commission is appointed by the mayor, it was widely anticipated that the CPC would approve Mayor Michael Bloomberg's redevelopment plan.
The City Council, which will cast its vote Nov. 12, will probably prove to be far greater a challenge for supporters of the proposed project. In August, 32 Council members signed a letter authored by City Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-East Elmhurst) signaling their intent to deny the project unless significant changes were made to the plan in its current form.
Former Borough President Claire Shulman, a strong advocate of redevelopment and head of the Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC, said getting the votes for approval will be a “challenge” and she plans to meet with each member of the legislative body in the weeks before the vote.
“I feel good about talking to the City Council, because in the end what they want is to make the city better,” Shulman said.
On Tuesday, Shulman's advocacy group sent a letter to all 51 Councilmembers signed by 75 state elected officials, union leaders, community leaders and environmental advocates urging the legislative body to pass the plan.
The potential use of eminent domain looms large over the project, which the city has repeatedly said it would only use as a last resort. City negotiators have been locked in talks to acquire the land of the nearly 80 property owners at Willets Point, but thus negotiations have only yielded four deals, making the use of the controversial practice — which allows a government agency to forcibly take private property — more likely.
City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), who did not sign Monserrate's letter, called the redevelopment “the most important project the borough, or even the city, will see for the next decade,” but said the city will need to sign deals with a majority of the property owners before he will even consider voting for it.
“They've got five weeks to work hard and hash out deals with the property owners so that eminent domain doesn't have to fall like an ax,” Liu said.
“The mayor says one or two holdouts should not stand in the way of progress. That I would agree with, but it's not a few holdouts at this point. This is nine out of 10 people.”
In an interview, Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber said negotiations with the business owners have been progressing, but admitted there is work to be done.
“We still have some wood to chop there,” he said.
Lieber also said he believes Monserrate's coalition is not as big a threat to the mayor's plan as it appears. Lieber said the city has met and will continue to meet with Council members on the plan, but reaching out to all of them will not be necessary.
“We're always talking,” Lieber said. “But when you talk about some of the members who have just stamped their name on it, to say we are making a concentrated effort I think would be an exaggeration.”
City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), one of the letter's signers, was miffed by Lieber's statements but expressed concern.
“That's actually pretty insulting,” Avella said. “There is strong opposition. My concern is when the mayor and the speaker start to apply pressure on some of the members will they continue to be opposed. I'm not so sure.”
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, ext. 138.
