NEW YORK _ New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is moving to require a special permit for hotel development after a major industry union that supports the measure endorsed him for president, according to a report.
De Blasio asked the city planning department to outline how to implement such a permit citywide _ limiting hotel development by requiring new projects to go through the land use review process, Crain's New York Business reported Monday.
De Blasio's order to begin drafting a proposal comes less than three months after the powerful New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council endorsed his long-shot campaign for president.
HTC has long advocated for mandating developers who want to build hotels to get City Council approval through the city's land use process, known as ULURP. The mayor has already required such special permits in manufacturing zones, but the policy reportedly in the works would expand the requirement across the five boroughs.
Requiring City Council OK for hotel developments would give the union more say on the projects.
De Blasio championed a citywide special permit at a June rally after the hotel workers union announced its support of his White House bid.
"I think special permits are a very good idea," de Blasio said. "I think we should extend it as far as we can with the City Council because what it does is it gives us the opportunity to determine what a hotel will mean for a community."
At the same rally, HTC President Peter Ward praised de Blasio for requiring hotel developers get special permission for projects in manufacturing zones.
"In just a few short years we changed the zoning in this city thanks to this mayor to create a fair process to make sure that hotels that come here to operate go through a process that guarantees they serve not just their interest but the communities," Ward said.
De Blasio has also supported more enforcement against home-sharing site Airbnb _ another key priority for HTC.
He still dismissed concerns his presidential supporters would get special treatment.
"I want support, but I'm gonna make decisions on behalf of the people and on the merits," de Blasio said after the endorsement rally.
City Hall had no immediate comment.
De Blasio has already narrowly escaped a brush with federal and state prosecutors who probed his political fundraising as part of pay-to-play investigations. One prosecutor determined that the mayor acted on behalf of donors looking for favors from the city, though he and his aides were never charged.
