[music]

Announcer: Listener supported WNYC Studios.

Announcer: Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, February 13th. Here's the midday news from Verónica Del Valle.

Verónica Del Valle: New Jersey's Milburn Township is at the center of one of the state's most closely watched affordable housing disputes in recent years. Town officials have fought for four years to prevent a 75-unit, 100% affordable project. The developer now says the town council missed a key court-imposed deadline for allowing the project to move forward. Josh Bowers is an attorney with Fair Share Housing Center, which is suing the town over the dispute. Bowers says this is just more delay.

Josh Bowers: It's a new year, but it's still the same Milburn. It's just very clear that they aren't going to do any of this unless and until the court orders them.

Verónica Del Valle: The developer has asked a state judge to force Milburn officials to do just that. An attorney for the town in a court filing asked the developer to submit more financial information about the project before it can move forward. The New York Jets say they're officially moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers joined the Gang Green with much fanfare two seasons ago. He'd led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2011, and Jets fans were hoping he could bring their team to the promised land for the first time since 1969. Rodgers's two years in New York were marred with injury and a losing record.

In a statement, new Jets coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey thanked Rodgers for his leadership, dedication, and passion. It's unclear who will be the Jets starting quarterback next season. Now, look at the weather. It's 40 and hazy right now. Tonight feeling very, very cold and gusty, 29 degrees. Tomorrow, sunny and 35, but it'll feel more like 20 because of the wind gusts. Up next, Mets pitchers and catchers are in Florida for spring training. What's in store for the team this season? That's after the break.

[music]

Verónica Del Valle: Pitchers and catchers for the Mets and Yankees are settling into spring training in Florida. While opening day is still weeks away, both teams are gearing up for the season. On Wednesday, we heard from new Yankees announcer Dave Sims. Now, my colleague, Michael Hill, checks in with Tim Ryder, host of the Simply Amazin Mets Podcast, for a preview of what's ahead for the new Mets.

Michael Hill: Hey, Tim. Thanks for joining us. Let's catch everyone up here. It's been an off-season like none other for the Amazins. Tell us why.

Tim Ryder: Anytime you get to bring in a generational player like Juan Soto, it's a landscape-changing moment. Being able to pair him up with Francisco Lindor atop the lineup, it has Mets fans extremely excited for the year. Depth-wise, they've made other additions, but of course, the Juan Soto signing has really stood out as the gem of the winter for David Stearns and Steve Cohen and company.

Michael Hill: Now, with the signing of Pete Alonso, he's coming back. Star hitter Juan Soto, as you mentioned, in the fold now, expectations are pretty high. They would have to be. Let's remind everyone how the Mets did this past season.

Tim Ryder: The 2024 season was really a bit of a roller coaster. Through, I would say, the first or second week of May, this team was fumbling. They were hovering around the 500 point. At the helm was Carlos Mendoza. He was able to keep this group focused and they went on one of the more exciting tears that we've seen as Mets fans in many, many years. Made it into the postseason on the last day of the year, fought and clawed all the way to the National League Championship Series, eventually losing to the World Series champion Dodgers.

What they were able to do with the group they had last year and the synergy that was created really from top through bottom, whether it's the roster, the coaching staff, the front office, as you said, the expectations are through the roof after what they've done this winter. The expectations for this team to just continue on the upward trajectory, I think that's the more standout part of the entire equation is that the success had last year and the moves made this winter, expectations are just to the moon right now for Mets fans.

Michael Hill: Tim, along those lines, what has to happen for the team to win the first championship since '86 for them to meet those expectations you're talking about?

Tim Ryder: Pitching is going to be a very big part of it. They've added some terrific depth. They've brought back Sean Manaea who was a very big part of the 2024 club. Kodai Senga, who of course was terrific in 2023, really only played pitch sparingly in 2024, but both are slated to be on the board. A couple of additions in Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas. I think it will come down to the pitching for them to have success. The bullpen looks good. The offense is, of course, expected to produce on paper. You have expectations-- the secret in the sauce is going to be actually producing teams on paper. If you look at a team on paper, you can't put them right into the postseason. You got to win those games.

Michael Hill: Staying healthy is a key factor, too.

Tim Ryder: Oh, absolutely.

Michael Hill: Tim, since the 1990s, the Yankees have really been the big dog in this city. We've been talking a lot on this show about how under owner, Steve Cohen, things might be changing. What do you think? Is the New York area becoming a Mets town?

Tim Ryder: It's a lot of property to take over. Of course, the Yankees had about a 60-something-year head start as far as building a fan base in the region. At least for myself, I don't see us as a rivalry with the Yankees getting that respect that's certainly due for what they've been doing over the last couple of years under Cohen. I think that's very important. I think that's making the statement that they're here, they're here to win, they're here to win annually.

They want to be in that boat with the Yankees and try to compete every single year. As a Mets fan, for the last 30, 40 years, we haven't always been able to say that. I think now under the new regime, I think we're going to be able to say, yes, every year, this team is going to compete. In actuality, that's really all we can ask for.

Michael Hill: That's podcaster and Mets fan, Tim Ryder, as the Mets are reporting to spring training. Tim, come back and visit with us as the season progresses.

Tim Ryder: Absolutely, Michael. Thank you so much for having me.

[music]

Michael Hill: Have you ever wanted to dip your toes in local government In New York City, joining your local community board is a way to do exactly that. Your window for this year is closing in some parts of town. Applications to join local community boards in Brooklyn and the Bronx are closing tomorrow. That means you have just one day left to fill out an application and potentially shape the city's policies from the ground level. Here to tell us more about life as a member of a community board is Mike Racioppo. He's district manager for Community Board 6 in Brooklyn, which covers Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Red Hook, and the Columbia Street Waterfront. What do community boards do and what kinds of decisions do they actually make?

Mike Racioppo: Community boards are the official advisory body of the City of New York's review process for various things. They're independent government agencies, and they can comment on things ranging from-- The most common thing I would say would be land use, transportation. In my district, we have a lot of historic districts, so we review landmark applications, we do liquor licenses because the state liquor authority requires a municipal review. That's actually one of the ways I got involved, was someone told me you get to see the menus of restaurants early if you're on the liquor license committee. I was like, "Oh, that sounds cool."

Michael Hill: [laughs] That's a good reason to join, isn't it?

Mike Racioppo: Yes, I thought it was cool.

Michael Hill: Are any of the decisions that community boards make-- are any of the decisions binding? I know you use the word advisory.

Mike Racioppo: Yes, not officially, but in a sense, everything is technically advisory until it gets to the city council. It depends on how much we emphasize it and how much pressure we put on things. We exist in the political economy of city politics in that way, so it matters what we support and it can be very influential.

Michael Hill: Mike, in your experience-- I'm curious. In your experience, how often does-- If a decision is made, a vote is taken by a community board, that it goes to the city council, how often is it that the city council either agrees with the local board or disagrees? I imagine if there's a disagreement with the local board, then the local board could say, "We feel like we wasted our time here."

Mike Racioppo: I don't track the stats, but I think that when you put in a lot of time and work on it, I'm very careful to make sure that we as a board don't waste our time. To quote Saul Alinsky actually said, "Don't waste volunteers' time". Was one of his rules. It's something that I've kept in mind because you don't want people come out just for the sake of it. If you put in the time, you work with the elected officials-- One of the focuses of my career has been the Gowanus rezoning, which we approved and then eventually went through.

If you look at what we wrote, which is a 17-page resolution next to what was signed into law by Mayor Bill de Blasio at the time, is basically almost the same thing. Something I'm really proud of. We got NYCHA capital improvements in that which wasn't in the zoning district, which at the start of the rezoning process was told we weren't. Because we're independent and because we're not bound by those rules, we can demand things for a while. For a couple of years, we were told we can't get capital improvements for NYCHA in Gowanus, but we ended up getting over $200 million. That's why you get on board and you keep-- I think fight another day on various topics.

Michael Hill: Mike, how has your work with community boards changed how you understand local government?

Mike Racioppo: Personally, it's maybe increased my patience for a lot of things because nothing moves quickly and just being willing to listen to a lot of things and all various perspectives and try to keep in mind the small d democracy.

Michael Hill: For someone who's never applied before, never even thought about joining a community board, why should they apply to join a community board?

Mike Racioppo: Because a lot of our life is determined by policy choices. I often say the East River wasn't a policy choice, but building a bridge over it is. That's the thing that-- We're not going to be voting on the Brooklyn Bridge necessarily. Little things that you think, "Oh, my life day to day and for this community is different because of this decision," for better or worse. If you want to have a say, if you don't want to just vote, this is another opportunity to have your voice heard.

Michael Hill: Mike Racioppo has been Community Board 6 district manager for the last six years. He also served on the District 6 board for six years. Mike, thank you.

Announcer: Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news, headlines, and occasional deep dives. Subscribe wherever you get your podcast. We'll be back this evening.

[music]

Copyright © 2025 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.