Development

Brownfield Reform
The Environmental Conservation Law includes overly stringent brownfield cleanup standards that raise costs without adding significant public health protections for Queens residents. New procedural requirements add undue costs and delay, while post-cleanup liability reforms contain too many loopholes, allowing regulators to reopen remediation projects already certified complete by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and allowing third party lawsuits, which together create uncertainty which unduly deters necessary remediation and development of distressed properties like Willets Point in Queens. The Law should be amended to add binding timetables for state reviews of proposed projects, cleanup standards more clearly based on actual risks posed by contamination at the site, and stronger post-cleanup liability protections for developers similar to the laws of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The Queens County Meeting and Exhibition Center proposed for Willets Point, Queens, would benefit from the amendments proposed above.

Zoning and Building Code Amendments
The Chamber supports rezoning efforts that encourage the proper mix of commercial, residential, and manufacturing zones. The City should continue its efforts to reduce costs by streamlining the approval process.