M
ayor Eric Adams has convened another charter revision commission to address New York City's housing crisis. The commission includes former City Planning heads from the de Blasio administration, including Carl Weisbrod and Anita Laremont. One potential target of reform is member deference, a tradition where the City Council votes in line with local Council members on land use actions. This dynamic can lead to projects being withdrawn before a final vote if they lack local support.

    The charter commission could suggest changes that weaken member deference, such as creating an appeal process for rejected applications or requiring a supermajority vote to override approval by the City Planning Commission. However, these ideas would be difficult to implement and may further strain relations between the mayor and City Council.

    Other potential reforms include shortening the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) or exempting more projects from it. Some have also suggested condensing the time community boards and borough presidents get to review land use applications. The commission has not met yet, so it's unclear what changes they will pursue.

    The City Council's Speaker Adrienne Adams has already expressed skepticism about the mayor's charter commission, characterizing a previous one as a "power grab." The mayor's commission takes priority over any formed by the City Council, which is currently establishing its own.