Legal Advocacy for Accountability

Champions the construction of a surface tramway along the West Side to fill an 80-year gap in NYC’s subway network at lower cost than underground alternatives.

Opposes excessive issuance of liquor licenses and supports reasonable operating hours for restaurants, bars, and clubs to reduce noise and improve neighborhood quality of life.

Represents and defends the interests of tenants living in West Village Houses through organized advocacy efforts.

Advocates on a range of issues including community policing, small business support, affordable and supportive housing, homeless services, food security, accessibility, and public space preservation.

Tracks the number and distribution of outdoor dining applications in Community Board 2 and across New York City to inform advocacy positions.

Plans and conducts events that bring together residents of the West Village Houses to strengthen community ties.

Files lawsuits and retains legal counsel to challenge city programs, including litigation to block permanent expansion of the Open Restaurants program and to compel an Environmental Impact Study on the program, achieving a favorable court ruling.

Planned and participated in a protest on June 9, 2021, opposing the city’s decision to make outdoor dining permanent without community input.

Generates ongoing reports documenting shifts in neighborhood conditions and quality of life over the past four years.

Offers a forum for residents to collectively advocate on issues affecting the West Village, including housing, public space, and quality of life.

Advocates for statewide changes to land use policy and environmental review processes, including integration of environmental justice and climate impacts into SEQR, updates to environmental assessment forms, revisions to the SEQR Type II list to support housing development, and successful annulment of non-compliant wetlands regulations. Engages in legislative advocacy on behalf of members on planning and zoning issues.

Participates in collaborative efforts with municipalities and local organizations, such as supporting the development of a traffic calming and multimodal access plan for the Forest Home neighborhood in the Town of Ithaca.

Maintains a membership network of over 5,000 individuals from more than 400 municipalities and 100 organizations across New York State. Offers certification and continuing education opportunities through its annual conference and training programs.

Provides free access to live and recorded webinars, training sessions, and educational modules for members, with certificates of attendance issued for participation. Content supports continuing education and professional development in planning and land use.

Conducts SEQRA-related research and analysis to support local planning efforts, such as zoning ordinance updates in the Hartsdale Four Corners area.

Administers state-funded planning grants, such as the Smart Growth Community Planning Grant, to support comprehensive planning efforts in municipalities like the Town of Caroga. Shares RFPs and bidding opportunities for planning projects to facilitate local engagement.

Provides direct technical assistance to members on planning, zoning, and land-use issues, including code reviews, audits, RFP preparation, and outreach. Maintains a members-only website section with training modules on SEQR, site plan review, comprehensive planning, and board duties, and distributes a newsletter with updates on legislation, case law, and trends.

Offers one-day training schools and ongoing training programs that satisfy New York State's requirement of at least 4 hours of annual training for planning board and zoning board of appeals members, providing up to 4.5 credit hours. Programs are eligible for Certified Maintenance (CM) credit for professional planners and professional development credit for code enforcement officers.