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When someone approaches Brooklyn developer Kirk Goodrich about participating in a new project that will go through the city’s land use review procedure, the first thing he does is check which City Council member represents the area.

If he doesn’t think that member will be supportive, he won’t get involved because under the doctrine of member deference, every Council member can effectively decide where a project is approved, pared back substantially or even is killed in their district — each year costing the city thousands of potential new homes.

“And I

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