This week, the New York State Senate Rules Committee passed a bill including language that would remove the statewide cap on the density of residential buildings that has been in place for nearly 60 years. This bill, titled S.6760, is backed heavily by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) who have lobbied for this amendment that could “explode New York City’s skyline“.

Supporters of this bill including REBNY, Mayor DeBlasio, and the Regional Plan Association (RPA) claim that lifting the cap would create more affordable housing, but there is nothing in the language of the bill to guarantee that. When a similar proposal was defeated at the State Legislature in 2016, Senator Liz Krueger was a key voice of opposition. In a June 2016 Community Bulletin, Senator Krueger stated that mega-towers are “the opposite of affordable, and there is nothing in this legislation that will change that.” This is yet another tactic for creating ultra-luxury megatowers that pad developers’ pockets.

In reality, it would allow for nearly unrestrained development that would open the door for developers to introduce excessive density into urban neighborhoods already burdened with strains on infrastructure and neighborhood necessities like city parks. Furthermore, this bill would create even more routes for the exploitation of zoning loopholes in New York City construction.

This bill could come to a vote on the Senate floor any time between now and the end of the session in June. It is essential to contact all of our elected officials in Albany to ensure that this dangerous and precedent-setting bill is not passed.