Overview
- City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced Friday a new advisory group to spur housing on about 3,000 small, underused lots across the five boroughs.
- The panel will study changes to construction codes and permitting to let builders use alternative designs on narrow sites roughly 15 to 27 feet wide without lengthy rezonings.
- Officials said the approach could yield up to 35,000 homes in buildings as tall as eight stories, creating options that can be faster and lower cost than large projects.
- The group will include architects, engineers, planners, finance experts and housing advocates, with co-chairs Barika Williams, Gary LaBarbera and James H. Simmons III who stressed safety and good-paying jobs.
- Menin framed the effort as a follow-on to the City of Yes package and 2025 Charter changes to close remaining gaps that still make small-lot projects hard to build.