Ben Kallos is the only council member to support the first of its kind community-led grassroots rezoning to stop the mark of super tall towers from Billionaire's Row into residential communities. No sooner did Ben and the community win the rezoning then did the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) overturn the rezoning to let a developer build an 800 foot tower. Even when the community wins, they still lose, whether at the BSA or at the courts.
The Board of Standards and Appeals, serves one purpose, and that is to provide relief from zoning laws, which can often put it at odds with City Planning and the community. As chair of the powerful Government Operations Committee in the Council and working with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Ben previously won reforms at the BSA, which were an important first step. As an attorney who has represented the community pro-bono, Ben will introduce legislation that will force the courts to do a de novo review or start from scratch in reviewing challenges brought by the community.