TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ravi Sharma on Opposition to 341 10th Street Rezoning
1:30:36
·
141 sec
Ravi Sharma, a 9th Street resident for over a decade, strongly opposes the 341 10th Street rezoning and LSGD special purpose applications by Stellar Management. He urges the committee to deny these applications, citing concerns about unprecedented zoning changes and community representation.
- Compares the proposed changes to those previously only considered for large-scale projects like Hudson Yards
- Criticizes the involvement of the 5th Avenue Committee, stating they do not represent residential needs
- Suggests soliciting bids from better-suited developers if the project is deemed necessary
Ravi Sharma
1:30:36
Good morning.
1:30:36
Chair Riley and members of the sub committee.
1:30:39
My name is Ravi Sharma, and I'm the 9th Street resident for over a decade.
1:30:42
I strongly oppose the 341 10th Street, rezoning an LSGD special purpose applications by stellar management.
1:30:48
I urge you to deny these applications for the following reasons.
1:30:51
The applications require represent an unprecedented zoning changes previously only considered for large scale projects on condemned railway and surrounding business property in Hudson Yards, Manhattan.
1:31:01
The applications represent as close to spot zoning as allow allows overriding well established zoning regulations, without specifying Stellar's plans, exact plans for the location.
1:31:11
The applications would negatively impact the surrounding historic district allowing Stella to construct an 18 story building towering over dozens of families many mere feet away, creating noise pollution, congestion, and unreasonable safety hazards.
1:31:24
The applications do not actually address the need for affordable housing.
1:31:27
Seller has a poor record of maintaining affordable units at 341 10th Street, and their details on the number of dirt and duration of affordable units expose a profit driven, a solely profit driven plan.
1:31:39
Their proposal indicates that only 20% of the units would be affordable but considering the suspiciously large amount of proposed studio and one bedroom apartments in Ninth Street reveals the affordable units would consist mainly of studio in one bedroom apartments, which is contrary to the policy of creating affordable housing for families that need larger apartments.
1:31:58
At the brook Brooklyn borough president's meeting, Sellers representatives testified that they had not determined how they would construct a building over the subway station and residential homes.
1:32:06
The lack of planning rep suggests that they may not be seek they may be seeking to flip the property for profit after obtaining a zoning change.
1:32:14
The city should not assist naked profit based initiatives but only approve a real plan that can be achieved.
1:32:19
While some building on Ninth Street as opposed to the residential 10th Street may make sense, If the city believes that a zoning change is necessary, it should take a page from Hudson Yards and solicit bids from the best developer for the job and take the property away from its current owner since it's since it is demonstrably not up for the job.
1:32:40
The Community Benefit Agreement must not be left the 5th Avenue Committee, which represents business interests and no one here is from the neighborhood 4 5th Avenue Committee, and they do not represent residential needs of the effective residence or or the greeter neighborhood.
1:32:56
Thank you.