The Office of Staten Island Borough President
10/07/2026 | Press release | Archived content
'Give Us A Break': Borough President Vito Fossella Opposes Affordable Housing Fast Track On Staten Island
Borough President Vito Fossella and Assemblymember Sam Pirozzolo opposed the incoming Affordable Housing Fast Track program, which will expedite the approval of some affordable housing projects, particularly across the Mid-Island and the South Shore.
They were joined by Bill Matarazzo, chief of operations for state Sen. Andrew Lanza, and Vince MacDermot, director of land use at Borough Hall, at a press conference in Great Kills.
Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, eligible rezoning proposals that develop affordable housing within 12 designated Fast Track zones, including the two on Staten Island, will undergo an expedited 90-day review period before a decision is rendered by the Department of City Planning. This replaces the longstanding, seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), removes the input from the City Councilmember representing the district, and eliminates the City Council vote that determines whether the proposal is approved or rejected.
Borough President Fossella pointed to the numbers: Staten Island has done its fair share for a population that has increased by more than 120% since the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the 1960s, while aside from Queens, the populations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx have decreased.
"So, we're here to say, give us a break," said Borough President Fossella. "Enough is enough. If we want to ensure that these communities remain intact in perpetuity, let's do what the people of Staten Island really want, and what they don't want is their neighborhoods to be destroyed."
Borough President Fossella said the new Fast Track Program combined with the City Of Yes is "like a double-barrel shotgun to the people of Staten Island when it comes to development that they do not want."
Further, he said the homeowners and developers who "did things right by the books" for the last 30 years are now being "punished and penalized."
"The city in its insatiable desire to drive us crazy just keeps coming along to say we're giving you more of what you don't want, rather than the things you do want," said Borough President Fossella. "We're trying to do what we can to stop it, to inject some common sense and to allow the people of Staten Island to retain and maintain a voice for doing what they did -- making the largest investment of their life by buying their home."
They were joined by Bill Matarazzo, chief of operations for state Sen. Andrew Lanza, and Vince MacDermot, director of land use at Borough Hall, at a press conference in Great Kills.
Set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, eligible rezoning proposals that develop affordable housing within 12 designated Fast Track zones, including the two on Staten Island, will undergo an expedited 90-day review period before a decision is rendered by the Department of City Planning. This replaces the longstanding, seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), removes the input from the City Councilmember representing the district, and eliminates the City Council vote that determines whether the proposal is approved or rejected.
Borough President Fossella pointed to the numbers: Staten Island has done its fair share for a population that has increased by more than 120% since the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the 1960s, while aside from Queens, the populations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx have decreased.
"So, we're here to say, give us a break," said Borough President Fossella. "Enough is enough. If we want to ensure that these communities remain intact in perpetuity, let's do what the people of Staten Island really want, and what they don't want is their neighborhoods to be destroyed."
Borough President Fossella said the new Fast Track Program combined with the City Of Yes is "like a double-barrel shotgun to the people of Staten Island when it comes to development that they do not want."
Further, he said the homeowners and developers who "did things right by the books" for the last 30 years are now being "punished and penalized."
"The city in its insatiable desire to drive us crazy just keeps coming along to say we're giving you more of what you don't want, rather than the things you do want," said Borough President Fossella. "We're trying to do what we can to stop it, to inject some common sense and to allow the people of Staten Island to retain and maintain a voice for doing what they did -- making the largest investment of their life by buying their home."
The Office of Staten Island Borough President published this content on October 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 23, 2026 at 17:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]