TESTIMONY
Ben Wetzler on Support for Zoning Change and Affordable Housing Project in New York City
1:22:32
·
142 sec
Ben Wetzler voices support for a zoning change and affordable housing project, emphasizing its benefits for the New York City community.
- Wetzler supports the proposed zoning change and the project's inclusion in Borough President Mark Levine's mixed-income housing plan.
- He praises Council Member Menin for ensuring fair wages and feasible affordable housing in the project.
- Wetzler raises concerns about maintaining light and air easements and protecting a rent-stabilized building from potential development.
- He criticizes the limited scope of rezoning, urging for similar measures in other districts to include affordable housing.
- Wetzler highlights the importance of updating commercial and residential zoning to better serve neighborhood needs.
Ben Wetzler
1:22:32
Okay.
1:22:32
Great.
1:22:32
Thank you.
1:22:33
I just want to express my support for the project and for the the proposed zoning change.
1:22:40
This was one of the parcels that was included in borough president Mark Levine's plan to build more mixed income and particularly more low income affordable housing in New York City.
1:22:51
And I really commend all of the great work that council member Menin has been doing to ensure that this is an appropriate project that moves forward with, you know, fair wages and the maximum amount of affordable housing that is feasible.
1:23:06
So I really wanna just express how grateful I am to see that that that happen.
1:23:12
My two concerns that I want a voice are, first of all, I hope that the council will not impose any conditions on the project that would make it infeasible for them to continue to have the the light and air easement over the surrounding buildings, which is important for the the environmental health of the neighborhood.
1:23:32
And then also, I'm so I'm so surprise nobody mentioned to this, but would also make it so that the rent stabilized apartment building next door would not be a viable development site in you know, from now into the future.
1:23:44
I I was kinda surprised that nobody mentioned that, but it does seem like an extremely good benefit to this of this project that that that building would no longer be threat would no longer be under threat of being torn down.
1:23:56
The the second and the main thing that I am frustrated with, and I know that this is not really something that Council alone can do.
1:24:03
This has to start with the the city planning commission, is that this happened in just this one zoning district as a developer led private application when there are at least 2 other industrial districts, CA dash something.
1:24:20
I'm not sure which what's after the dash, but there are 2 industrial automotive districts in the east nineties on the east between First Avenue And York Avenue.
1:24:30
That also, I think, should be looked at as NIH developments where the community would really have the
UNKNOWN
1:24:37
lab has expired.
1:24:38
Thank you.
Ben Wetzler
1:24:38
Get ahead of these of its potential concerns.
1:24:41
I used to live on 90th Street, and we had an extremely disruptive commercial development that happened there.
1:24:46
Because of the commercial the outdated commercial zoning and residential zoning that would include affordable housing would have been much, much better for the neighborhood.
1:24:53
Thank you.