CM Williams explains her aye vote on Mangin, citing neighborhood character and BSA engagement commitments

Aye.

Lee.

Abstain.

Williams.

Permission to explain my vote.

Yes.

Thank you.

I will be voting aye in favor of John Mangin's nomination to serve as chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals.

I approached this nomination with serious questions regarding Mr.

Mangin's previous writings on homeowners, neighborhood opposition to development, whether or not there should be certain community and council member inclusion, and the role that neighborhood characters should play in land use decisions.

I appreciate the additional context clarifications he provided regarding those writings, as well as the thoughtful responses he offered during this process.

As someone who represents communities of generations of working and middle class Black homeowners,

I believe our housing conversation must recognize that homeowners of color do not always fit neatly into the narratives often used in broader debates around development.

Preserving neighborhood character and protecting longstanding homeowners does not have to be at odds with building more housing.

My own work on the Jamaican Neighborhood Plan reflects that balance.

I have supported a major pro-housing neighborhood plan that would create thousands of new homes while fighting for the infrastructure,

affordability, public realm investments, and community protections necessary to ensure growth benefits the people who already call our neighborhoods home.

I was encouraged by Mr.

Mangin's recognition that neighborhood character is contextual.

and that areas consisting predominantly of one- and two-family homes may warrant a different analysis than neighborhoods with significantly different built forms.

I also appreciate his commitment to changing how the BSA engages with communities.

Mr.

Mangin has committed to proactively engaging council members on significant applications in their district, establishing points of contact with council offices, and seeking input from community stakeholders rather than simply waiting for concerns to reach the BSA.

He also proposed beginning public education and training for council offices, community boards, faith-based organizations, and other constituencies within his first six months.

That type of proactive engagement does not sufficiently exist today, and I believe it can make the BSA more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the communities affected by its decisions.

My vote today is therefore not an endorsement of every single position Mr.

Manchin has taken throughout his career.

It reflects the totality of this process, the context he has provided, and the commitments he has made about how he intends to lead the BSA.

I intend to hold him to those commitments and look forward to working with him to ensure that we can build the housing New York City desperately needs while respecting the distinct histories, homeowners, and the character of our neighborhoods.

Thank you.

And again, I vote aye.

Thank you.