(Image source from: Holidayguru)

The state Senate has repressed a bill that would have made it significantly easier for developers to build taller, denser residential buildings in New York City.

Lawmakers ballot down a bill that would have to get rid of the residential floor area ratio, which has been set at 12 since 1961, according to Brownstoner. A similar proposal also failed to pass in 2015 and 2016.

Bill S6760 would have permitted for exceptions to the cap if "otherwise provided in the zoning resolution of the City of New York," according to CityLand.

The Senate introduced the bill by including language in its budget that amends New York's Multiple Dwelling Law.

Critics of the bill, which perished in committee, lambasted it as a giveaway to the real estate industry, while supporters like the Real Estate Board of New York have argued that it would lead to more inexpensive living accommodation.

The Regional Plan Association supports lifting the cap as well, issuing a report in February saying that doing so would help fill the demand for more working and middle-class housing.

The bill would have led to significantly fewer limitations on development in some of the densest areas in the city, including Downtown Brooklyn, which has seen a massive influx of high rises over the past few years.

By Sowmya Sangam