PROCEDURE
Opening of the 4th Public Hearing on the East 94th Street Rezoning Proposal
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3 min
This segment outlines the opening formalities of the 4th public hearing on the East 94th Street rezoning proposal, including remarks from Council Members and procedural steps for testimonies.
Kevin C. Riley
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Now, I will now open the 4th and last public hearing on the preconsider's LUs relating to the East 94th Street Resort and Proposal and council member of Menace District in Manhattan.
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This proposal consists of a rezoning from a manufacturing district m 1 dash 4 to a commercial district C4 dash 6 to develop a mixed use residential development in Yorkville.
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The proposal includes map and mandatory inclusionary housing, over the rezoning area, which will require applicant to include affordable housing and proposed development.
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For anyone wishing to testify on these items remotely, If you have not already done so, you must register online, and you may do that now by visiting the council's website at council.nyc.gov/lanes.
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And once again, for anyone with us in person, please see one of the surgeons to prepare and submit a speaker's card.
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If you will prefer to submit written testimony, You can always do so by emailing it to land use testimony at counsel.nyc.gov.
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And I would now like to give the floor to council member a minute to give her remarks.
Julie Menin
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Thank you so much, Chair Riley, for holding today's important hearing.
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The East 94 Street rezoning has a possibility to be the 1st mandatory inclusionary housing project for the east side of Manhattan and could bring upwards of 450 units of housing and a 100 vitally important affordable housing units.
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New York City is in the midst of an ongoing affordability crisis.
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Our city is neither building nor preserving enough affordable housing to keep up with demand.
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Very few units of affordable housing have been created in my district in recent years, which is totally and wholly unacceptable.
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In fact, over half of all council districts, 26 out of 51 Council districts to be precise, created less than a 100 units of affordable housing in 2022.
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This is a paltry level of production, and we must change this.
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Community Board 8 of Manhattan approved this rezoning by a vote of 32 in favor 4 opposed, and 3 abstentions, but with conditions that included that the proportion of affordable units be increased to 30%.
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That open space be incorporated into the site, that the height of the building be reduced to a maximum of 355 feet, that construction use all union labor or pay prevailing wages among other conditions.
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It's my understanding that the applicant has reached preliminary agreements with 32 BJ and I urge the applicant to continue conversations with the Carpenter's union and other labor unions in regard to this proposal so that project labor agreements can be executed.
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At today's hearing, I look forward to the applicant answering the committee's questions, determine which if any recommendations from Community Board aid And the City Planning Commission have been incorporated.
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Lastly, I've asked the Department of Housing And Preservation to commit resources to this project, and I'm hopeful that the administration can support the east side of Manhattan's affordable housing needs.
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I wanna once again thank the chair for allowing me to speak, and I look forward to today's hearing.
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Thank you.
Kevin C. Riley
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Thank you, councilmember.
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Council, please call the first panel for this item.
William Vidal
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The first panel consists of Eric Knowles and Jerry Johnson.
Kevin C. Riley
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Thank you.
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Counsel, please administer that information.
William Vidal
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Please raise your right hand and state your name for the record.
Jerry Johnson
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Jerry Johnson?
Eric Knowles
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Eric Knowles.
William Vidal
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Do you do you still like to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your statement, and in response to questions?
Eric Knowles
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Yes.
Kevin C. Riley
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Yes.
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Thank you.
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For the view in public, if you need the accessible version of this presentation, please send a email request to land use the money at counsel.nyc.gov.
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And now the applicant team may begin, panelist.
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Before you begin, just please state your name and organization for the record.