Mott Haven Leaders Sue NYC Over Controversial Bronx Jail Plan

BRONX, NY (06/04/2019) (readMedia)-- Opponents of the proposed Mott Haven jail filed a lawsuit against the de Blasio Administration today, accusing it of engaging in an illegal land use process in order to advance a political agenda--all at the expense of a low-income community of color that is in the poorest congressional district in the United States of America.

The City's move to group all four proposed new borough jail sites into one Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is unprecedented and a clear attempt to shortcut local land use laws, according to the suit. In addition, the City has failed to provide a clear and sufficient Environmental Impact Statement in its attempt to jam through the borough-based jail plan.

The City also chose the proposed Mott Haven location without input or support from the impacted neighborhood in Mott Haven. Mott Haven jail opponents argue that the jail would prevent a local, not-for-profit, community-based organization from using the proposed site of the jail to develop mixed-income housing that includes home ownership, retail and light manufacturing that would help revitalize the neighborhood.

"Since day one, the City has been trying to ram through this jail without properly assessing how it would affect the residents in the impacted neighborhood of Mott Haven," said Arline Parks, CEO of Diego Beekman Mutual Housing Association. "By combining all four sites into one land use process, the City is attempting to avoid necessary scrutiny for a political win. With this illegal land use process, Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Corey Johnson are choosing politics over fairness and justice. This land use process must be stopped so that the Bronx jail site can be independently reviewed and we can determine the best location for a new jail--not the quickest."

The lawsuit cites statements by the de Blasio administration indicating that the speed of the process to site and build the new jails was most important to them so that the political goal of closing Rikers Island could be achieved. In a February 14, 2018 press release, the City announced that the "agreement between the Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson [would] consolidate the proposal to renovate, expand or construct jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx into a single ULURP process, which will allow for a more expedited review." In addition, Speaker Johnson admitted that "the sped-up ULURP process was created in part to save time and money from creating the community jails...they're going to be expensive...so if we can save a significant amount of money on these facilities and shave time off it, it's a win-win all around."

The petitioners in the suit, Diego Beekman Mutual Housing Association Housing Development Fund Corporation and Walter Nash (Concord Avenue Residents Association President) v. The City of New York, New York City Department of City Planning and New York City Planning Commission, are represented by Adam J. Stein and Jonathan L. Adler of the law firm Stein Adler Dabah & Zelkowitz LLP. You can read the petition here.

Diego Beekman Background:

Diego Beekman Mutual Housing Association (DB) consists of 38 buildings of affordable housing in Mott Haven. DB has been in existence for 45 years and employs 100 workers. Since 2003, DB has been run by a board that consists of residents that includes other professionals with housing experience. DB has had a hugely positive impact on the community since taking over ownership of the development. Management has lowered the levels of gang violence, drugs and addressed public safety issues. DB has spent the last 22 years planning the stability of the complex that has resulted in $150 million in financial investments in capital improvements to the housing stock. DB has spent the last 2-3 years gathering input from community residents to form the Diego Beekman Neighborhood Plan, a comprehensive development plan for three underutilized, publicly-owned sites in the community that includes additional affordable housing, youth & senior services community space, economic opportunities, jobs and more to create wealth for this neighborhood in Mott Haven.