Bayside Building Owners Convene In Climate-Friendly Law Town Hall

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Hundreds of residents and building owners convened at a town hall in Bayside on Tuesday to discuss the impacts of a law that implements carbon caps on city buildings, which account for more than two-thirds of New York City greenhouse gas emissions.

Many co-op and condominium owners in Bayside oppose the law, which requires all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to meet zero emissions requirements by 2024. Buildings exceeding carbon caps will incur hefty fines.

"It is a targeted attack on our middle class," said Council Member Vickie Paladino. "I am determined to explore every avenue to deliver relief to our co-op and condos. They are being forced to shoulder a burden that is not theirs and it is wrong."

Paladino was joined by Bob Friedrich, president of Glen Oaks Village Owners Co-op, Warren Schreiber, president of Bay Terrace Cooperative Section One, and others at the Bay Terrace Garden Jewish Center on Tuesday.

In February, the Council Member introduced legislation that would delay the implementation of Local Law 97 by seven years. The bill aims to give building owners more time to meet the climate-friendly requirements.

Local Law 97 seeks to reduce the emissions produced by the city’s largest buildings by 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.