Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is drafting a bill aimed to finally put a halt to the illegal conversions of one-and two-family homes into units that house sometimes more than 20 people that has been proliferating throughout South and Central Brooklyn.
Former Mill Basin/Marine Park City Councilman Lew Fidler, who now works as a legislative aide for Adams, announced the proposal at last night’s Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association meeting at the Carmine Carro Community Center in Marine Park, Fillmore Avenue and Marine Parkway.
“We’re not talking about conversions like putting your grandmother in the basement, we’re talking about adding 20 bedrooms,” said Fidler.
Dubbed the Aggravated Illegal Conversion Bill, the measure would impose humongous fines on residents found making massive illegal conversions, and if the fines aren’t paid there will be liens placed on the homes and they can be sold at auction, said Fidler.
Fidler said Bay Ridge City Council Member Vincent Gentile and Flatlands City Council Member Jumaane Williams will work with Adams to bring the bill to the City Council floor.
Fidler said the city’s Department of Buildings will be the enforcement agency for inspecting alleged homes with illegal conversions and doling out the violations.
There are still a lot of issues to be considered before a final measure is drafted and brought to the city council, he said.
The other half of the meeting featured a panel discussion on campaign finance and how regular citizens can level the playing field with the dominant “donor class” of real estate-developers and other business sectors who make large donations to elected officials campaigns to “buy” access, which can lead to policy change.
City and State Opinion Editor Nick Powell moderated the panel discussion, which featured Adam Forman, senior researcher, Center for Urban Future; Norman Siegel, attorney and a long-time, past-director of NY Civil Liberties Union; and City Council Member Jumaane Williams.
