The evening town hall on Local Law 97 drew over a hundred local residents.
Photo by Iryna Shkurhan
Council Members Vickie Paladino and Linda Lee both introduced bills against Local Law 97 in its current form and are now calling on their constituents to take action against the effort to curb building pollution.
A town hall held in Bayside’s Bay Terrace Shopping Center on Thursday, Oct. 26, brought out over 100 residents who are concerned about not meeting compliance with the law set to go into effect next year and having to fund costly upgrades.
Throughout the night, dozens of hands went up with most attendees showing a solid grasp on the bill’s intricacies. Many had already learned about the bill at past town halls. This time around, their questions were pointed at how they can continue taking action against Local Law 97 in its current form.
“This is about saving the necks of the middle class,” said Paladino. “It’s got to be stopped. It’s got to be reined in.”
Local Law 97 was passed by the city in 2019 in an effort to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and make it carbon neutral by 2040. Approximately 40% of Queens buildings are already in compliance with the law.
“It is the greatest unfunded mandate that the city council has ever imposed on their constituents,” said Robert Friedrich, president of the Glen Oaks Village.
He also shared figures on what the cost of compliance would be for his buildings, adding that those living in newer and more expensive, buildings are most likely already in compliance and will not need to bear the costs.
Compliance would require building owners to undertake the costs of retrofitting their heating, hot water and ventilation systems to meet building standards. Particularly co-op owners, less so than renters, are worried about the potential costs that will be incurred in implementing the necessary changes.
Friedrich calculated that in Glen Oaks Village, it would cost $24.5 million…
Read the full article here
