Last Chance to Say No to the City of Yes This Week
Final Public Meeting Wednesday 7/10/24
Layla Law-Gisiko's Contributed OpEd / July 10, 2024 / Opinion.
Dear New Yorkers,
Each year, the same scenario unfolds. July rolls in and you think you can take a break, slow down, chill. Carpe Diem. But not quite yet. As always, the most significant and existential land use decisions are made over the summer. As Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, the French critic and journalist wrote: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Remember last year with Madison Square Garden.
Well, the 2024 vintage is City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the most consequential zoning action since the 1961 zoning text overall. The ambitious citywide, one size fits all proposal aims to solve NYC housing crisis by removing many land use regulations which in turn would result in more supply.
Editor's Note - The following links were provided to enable you to view the original source documents.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/planning/plans/city-of-yes/city-of-yes-housing-opportunity.page
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans-studies/city-of-yes/housing-opportunity/annotated-zoning-text.pdf#r=1
After trudging through six weeks of community board deliberations, it seemed we were finally on the brink of seizing the day at the beach. But hold off on the beach umbrella and the sunscreen. The City Planning Commission will hold their only public hearing on the matter on Wednesday, July 10.
I am not going to lie: this hearing may be gruesome. But the City Of Yes will grew-some-more.
As of now, the city predicts that the hearing may be a 12-hour marathon or more. No carpe on that diem! Yet, we shall remain mobilized.
- CLICK here to read the rest of Layla Law-Gisiko's OpEd about Saying No to the City of Yes Zoning Legislation in NYC.
Last Chance to Say No to the City of Yes This Week
Final Public Meeting Wednesday 7/10/24
Layla Law-Gisiko's Front Page OpEd / July 10, 2024 / Opinion - Continued.
Whether you are already vacationing in Bar Harbor, Bend, Boulder or Boca, or still strolling the sidewalks of Bay Ridge, Battery Park City, Bushwick or Broadway, I urge you to testify on zoom or in person [see links below].
Remember: Advocacy Works
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity aims to address the housing affordability crisis with a main focus on increasing supply. Supply is undoubtedly critical. But supply of what exactly? Will the multimillion-dollar penthouses on Billionaires' Row solve the housing shortage? They will only exacerbate the affordability crisis. Compulsory affordable housing, public housing, and Mitchell-Lama programs are tried-and-tested remedies that demand prioritization, yet tragically remain absent from the proposal.
One major critique is that City of Yes relies on market forces to achieve its goals. Alas, the market is not in the business of brewing up equitable policies. Abundant housing is a mirage. The market tends to favor luxury housing developments in already prosperous neighborhoods. And the market has a love-affair with scarcity.
Joyce Matz, a longtime member of Manhattan Community Board 5 was one of the most influential New Yorkers of her time. She always told me: "When you say no, [to a zoning proposal] they will come with a better plan".
Say No to the City of Yes. Say No, so that our friends at the Department of City Planning are compelled to go back to the drawing board and improve their ambitious proposal. Say No so that we can all get a better plan: a plan that will serve the middle-class. It is not a punishing No. Rather, it is a civic and responsible No. A Warren Buffet kind of No, a Tony Blair kind of No.
Warren Buffet: "The difference between successful people and really successful people is that the really successful people say no to almost everything."
Tony Blair: "The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes."
CITY OF YES TALKING POINTS
Here are six talking points that summarize my concerns. These worries are held by many, and are shaped by the multitude of public hearings I've attended and comments I've gathered.
- Lack of Mandatory Affordable Housing: The initiative does not include mandatory affordable housing provisions, which means affluent neighborhoods are likely to see very little affordable housing development. This exacerbates economic segregation and limits housing options for low- and middle- income residents.
- Lowering Housing Quality: The proposal allows for reduced standards in housing quality, including less air and light (smaller windows, smaller setbacks), and no minimum unit sizes. This could lead to the construction of substandard living conditions, affecting residents' health and well-being.
- Reduction of Council Members' Powers: By converting many Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) actions into discretionary certifications, the initiative reduces the power of elected council members. This diminishes local oversight and accountability in land use decisions.
- No Community Impact Assessment: The initiative fails to assess the impact of new housing on communities, including the need for additional infrastructure like hospital beds, school seats, and other essential services. This oversight can lead to strained resources and diminished quality of life.
- TDR from Landmarks: The transfer of development rights (TDR) from landmarks could result in the creation of disproportionately large towers, which may disrupt the character of neighborhoods, creating "Frankenstein" buildings that overshadow their surroundings.
- Campus Infill: The initiative allows for infill development on public land, which would take away much-needed open space. Moreover, there is no requirement for this new housing to be 100% affordable, which undermines efforts to support low-income residents.
WHAT: Public Hearing for City of Yes Housing Opportunity
WHEN: Wednesday, July 10, 10AM
HOW TO ATTEND: In Person or via Zoom
- In-Person - City Planning Commission Hearing Room, Lower Concourse 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
Map Link - https://www.google.com/maps/place/Equitable+Life+Building,+120+Broadway,+New+York,+NY+10271/@40.7084773,-74.0105984,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c25a17137b6b13:0x133a7a83e17bb1cc!8m2!3d40.7084773!4d-74.0105984!16s%2Fm%2F02x8s_g?entry=ttu
- On Zoom: REGISTER 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE MEETING by copying & pasting this link.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycengage/events/city-planning-commission-public-meeting/461618/1
Layla Law-Gisiko
July 8, 2024
