How this NJ town blocked an affordable housing development

Also, the man behind some of hip-hop's iciest jewelry. [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Rich NJ city turns down affordable housing development to build pricey apartments]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️ We're in the midst of a [heat wave]( with a high of 91 degrees today. It’s Thursday morning in New York City and across the water in New Jersey, a ritzy city is [blocking an affordable housing development with rezoning.]( A state law requires every municipality to build its “fair share” of affordable housing. For Summit, a city where the average home is valued at nearly $1.2 million, that means 50 units must be built by June 2025. So far, the city has only built 16 units, so community members proposed a 42-unit, 100% affordable development be erected at a city-owned site currently occupied by a firehouse that is being relocated. But that plan was abandoned last week after the Summit Common Council voted 5-2 to rezone the firehouse site. It’s the first step toward eventually selling it to a developer for market-rate units, with a much smaller portion set aside for affordable rentals. Here's what else is happening: - There’s a new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History featuring some of hip-hop’s iciest jewelry, and the man behind some of those pieces is [this Queens native.]( - Looking for some activities to do with your kids around New York City this summer? [We’ve got you covered.]( - Preservationists are pushing for a Greek Revival rowhouse on West 13th Street to be [designated as a landmar]( and even though the process is moving along, it might be too little too late. - The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released their annual heat-related mortality report which showed that Black New Yorkers are still [more likely to die]( from heat-stress compared to their white counterparts. - For years, advocates have been pushing against the city’s plans to build affordable housing at the Elizabeth Street Garden. Now, that [fight may be over]( as the state’s highest court ruled in favor of the city. - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is [trusting the state attorney general]( after the indictment of one of the state's most powerful men, George Norcross, who is also an ally of the governor. - Brian Lehrer is launching his own newsletter, featuring his exclusive column, new ways to share your stories online and on air, plus an inside look at the show each week. [Sign up here]( to get it in your inbox on Thursday. - Access to many of the city's beaches and pools may very well be limited this summer as New York City [faces yet another lifeguard shortage.]( - Con Edison workers in Staten Island built two electrical poles for an osprey hawk to perch and nest. The osprey [welcomed a couple of hatchlings]( atop the pole earlier this month. - Efforts are underway to [designate a 500-mile stretch]( of New York State in Harriet Tubman’s honor. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Corridor would begin in New York City and end in Niagara Falls. - It’s soft serve season in New York City, and while a cone from Mister Softee will almost always hit the spot, [here are some other great places]( to get soft serve in the city. - Is it even a New York City summer without all the noise? Whether you are a noise maker or a noise hater, Gothamist [has your survivor’s guide.]( - Archaeologists [discovered glass bottles]( with perfectly preserved fruit in the cellar of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. - Could Grimace be the Mets’ [good luck charm]( ["[It’s] just not the right moral, ethical and community focused-vision for the kind of town that I think we want to be."]( - Pastor Blake Scalet discussing summit, New jersey's [EFFORTS TO BLOCK AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [For nearly 50 years, Sybil’s in Queens has been a go-to spot for Guyanese soul food]( Sybil’s is hard to miss in Little Guyana, the 30-block neighborhood in Richmond Hill, Queens. [NY workers are now entitled to paid break time to pump milk]( Starting on Wednesday, breastfeeding employees are entitled to 30 minutes of paid break time to pump milk at work under a new state law. [We Rely On Your Support]( [NYC driver who ran over onlooker while doing donuts accused of more auto crimes]( A driver who crashed into an onlooker while doing donuts in the middle of a crowd in Lower Manhattan two years ago has since been accused of more crimes behind the wheel. [Admission for Black students at NYC’s specialized high schools ticks up slightly, but remains low]( Black students’ admission to New York City’s prestigious specialized high schools remains persistently low, even as numbers increased slightly. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.