Ms. Kesner concentrates on New York City zoning, land use, and planning matters, representing private and institutional clients throughout the City. She has extensive experience in residential and mixed use developments throughout the City, and with particular expertise in the outer boroughs. She is very familiar with the City requirements and approval processes for waterfront development, having represented projects throughout the City. She brings her technical expertise, government experience, and perspective as a professional planner to our work, assisting clients in creatively resolving land use and community problems.
From 1980 through 1987, she represented City Council President Carol Bellamy and Queens Borough President Claire Shulman at the Board of Estimate. After leaving government, she founded and headed a consulting practice specializing in urban planning. The firm’s major clients included Queens West Development Corporation, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the Empire State Development Corporation.
Ms. Kesner returned to government service in 1996, when she was appointed Director of Planning and Development for the Queens Borough President. In that capacity, she supervised the master planning for the reuse of major facilities such as Queens Hospital Center, Creedmoor Psychiatric Facility, and Fort Totten in accordance with Federal base closure law (“BRAC”). She represented the Borough President to the Queens West Development Corporation, and oversaw all City land use activities in the borough, including major development projects, rezonings and text amendments, variances and special permits, and transportation and environmental issues.
Ms. Kesner is a lecturer at the Steven Newman Real Estate Institute of Baruch College, teaching a course in Zoning and Land Use Regulation in New York City.