QUESTION
Council Member Brewer's questions and concerns about the city planning proposal
2:26:31
·
7 min
Council Member Brewer raises several questions and concerns about the city planning proposal, covering issues like noise from dancing, battery storage, storefront transparency rules, enforcement challenges, and lack of prioritization for artist spaces.
- Wants to ensure union auto repair jobs in Clinton, Manhattan are not impacted. DCP states they will not be since the proposal applies to new uses.
- Concerned about noise and base vibrations from dancing impacting residents above venues. DCP states sound and size will continue to be regulated in the same way and are not touched by the proposal.
- Seeks more greenhouses and urban agriculture in residential areas. DCP states they have taken additional steps in City of Yes's carbon neutrality proposal.
- Worried about improper battery storage by micro-fulfillment centers
- Feels storefront transparency rules are unclear and unknown to business owners. DCP states they have transparency requirements as part of the proposal and agrees that there should not be boarded up dark stores in NYC.
- Anticipates enforcement challenges with expanded home-based businesses. DCP recognizes the need for robust DOB enforcements and they intend to make the rules clear enough to enforce.
- Believes federal approval is needed for more commercial uses in NYCHA housing.
- Wants vacant storefronts to be activated, possibly with artist spaces. DCP states they see storefront transparency requirements in their proposal as one way to help achieve this.
- Notes addresses are often missing from commercial buildings. DCP states they cannot speak to this immediately.
Gale A. Brewer
2:26:31
I testified that the hearing is I'm just gonna bring up some of the topics.
2:26:35
I don't think I mentioned auto repair and sales in Clinton in Manhattan.
2:26:40
100 of union jobs.
2:26:42
So one question is, I assume that anything there will not be disturbed by this particular proposal.
2:26:47
That's question number 1.
2:26:48
Question number 2 is I'm I'm all for dancing and music, but you should know having had hundreds of programs, questions over the years.
2:26:59
You live above.
2:27:00
It's not the noise.
2:27:01
It's the base, and the base goes through all the bills.
2:27:04
So how are you gonna deal with that issue?
2:27:05
Because it does not soundproof no matter what you do.
2:27:09
In terms of greenhouses, I passed a bill years ago and said there should be more greenhouses that would have urban agriculture in residential.
2:27:17
So I'm just wondering if you support that and what else we can do to make that even more part of the discussion.
2:27:24
Battery storage, we talk about all the time.
2:27:27
I do not like the micro fulfillment centers, the dark stores.
2:27:30
As you know, I try to get rid of them.
2:27:31
I got rid of some of them.
2:27:33
But the issue is they are still storing batteries.
2:27:36
I see them every day, plugging them in, If I lived above and people are complaining to me, I'd be hysterical.
2:27:42
So what are we doing about that as part of your issue?
2:27:45
Store windows.
2:27:45
Nobody knows where and how we can have cover of the window.
2:27:51
I don't think anybody knows.
2:27:52
And I wanna know if you are actually making a decision about that.
2:27:56
Sometimes the grocery stores cover them.
2:27:58
I love grocery stores.
2:27:58
I don't wanna mess them up.
2:28:00
But is that legal?
2:28:01
The micro fulfillment does it, and it's illegal.
2:28:03
What's legal, what's not, etcetera.
2:28:06
The issue of enforcement, I don't know.
2:28:09
I'm all for if you wanna have more types of home businesses.
2:28:13
The problem is when you hear that, you know what's gonna happen, people, oh, I can do anything I want.
2:28:17
You got That's a problem because that's how people are gonna hear it.
2:28:21
DealB cannot possibly handle it.
2:28:22
I I get complaints all the time.
2:28:24
Is it 25% that I can have?
2:28:26
You know, you you really have to think about the enforcement there.
2:28:30
So I don't know how that's gonna work, but I can tell you it's a problem.
2:28:33
I'm for Nitra having more service based industry on the premises.
2:28:38
I think you need the federal government for that.
2:28:40
So I wanna know is that true or not?
2:28:41
I believe you need the fence to agree to that.
2:28:44
202 housing, not allowed to have any commercial whatsoever.
2:28:47
And I believe nature, unless there's some specifics, can have service stores.
2:28:52
They can have those goddamn doctor's offices, etcetera.
2:28:55
I hate those doctor's office.
2:28:57
The the vacant stores, it's nice.
2:28:59
You have some ideas.
2:29:01
Move the bakery, etcetera.
2:29:03
We need a better prop we need much more thought about bacon stores.
2:29:06
This might be the time to do it.
2:29:08
Bacon stores are everywhere.
2:29:09
I'm for taxing them.
2:29:11
That's just me.
2:29:11
That has to go to Albany.
2:29:13
I'd love to see more discussion of artists.
2:29:15
You don't have much discussion of art.
2:29:17
For the light manufacturing.
2:29:18
I'm actually for the light manufacturing.
2:29:20
Guess what I would say.
2:29:21
Artists.
2:29:22
Artists.
2:29:22
Artists.
2:29:23
Give them percentage.
2:29:25
They get more percentage to do light manufacturing than the, I don't know, the pharmacy, whatever it is.
2:29:32
I the artists have no space in Manhattan.
2:29:34
They're dying for space.
2:29:35
Jewelry, graphics, 3 d, that's all art in my book.
2:29:38
New kinds art, but you don't you don't prioritize the artists.
2:29:42
I'd like to say that.
2:29:43
And finally, iPass the bill that says every store, commercial has to have an address.
2:29:49
These goddamn buildings do not have address, so you can't find a building.
2:29:53
So I got HPD to agree to make sure that they, you know, find those with no address.
2:30:00
But I can't find an agency to say you have to have an address on a commercial building.
2:30:04
I need help with that.
2:30:05
Thank you.
Dan Garodnick
2:30:08
Love it.
2:30:08
Thank you, Council member Brewer.
2:30:11
Okay.
2:30:11
Let me I wrote them all down.
2:30:13
If I if I missed anything, I Yeah.
2:30:15
I know you will.
2:30:16
Okay.
2:30:17
First, on the the Clinton auto repair, this applies to new uses would not affect them.
Gale A. Brewer
2:30:23
Yeah.
Dan Garodnick
2:30:23
On base vibrations, coming out of an existing bar or restaurant.
2:30:31
Sound and size are regulated today.
2:30:34
Sound and size will continue to be regulated tomorrow are not touched by this zoning proposal.
Christopher Leon Johnson/Shaun Abreu
2:30:38
So when
Gale A. Brewer
2:30:38
you dance, you're gonna the volume goes up.
2:30:40
I'm just saying.
2:30:41
I'm just pointing that out.
2:30:42
You live above the base Something
Christopher Leon Johnson/Shaun Abreu
2:30:46
to think about.
2:30:46
Well, would the
Gale A. Brewer
2:30:46
bait yeah.
2:30:46
Well, okay.
2:30:46
Something to think about.
Dan Garodnick
2:30:47
Yep.
2:30:47
Okay.
2:30:47
Because I
Gale A. Brewer
2:30:47
get the complaints, and then I gotta deal with them.
Dan Garodnick
2:30:49
Understood.
2:30:50
Okay.
2:30:50
Greenhouses we took additional steps as part of CWS for carbon neutrality on that.
2:30:57
So progress has been made to allow for urban agriculture in our residential areas.
2:31:04
So thank you for that.
2:31:05
Dark stores and micro distribution, we have transparency requirements as part of this proposal.
2:31:12
Because we agree with you that you should not have boarded up dark stores in New York City.
2:31:16
Enforcement, that's something which has come up by other of your colleagues too.
2:31:20
We certainly understand the need for robust DOB enforcement of these proposals, our hope.
2:31:25
And certainly, we've worked very closely with them in developing this plan.
2:31:29
Is to make sure that the rules are clear enough, clear enough to enable them to enforce, which unfortunately today, so many of our rules are either ambiguous or or silent that it makes it impossible for DOB to actually enforce.
2:31:44
Our hope is by clarifying these rules.
2:31:45
We give them an extra tool.
2:31:47
NIGHCHA NEEDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Gale A. Brewer
2:31:49
Reporter: ON THE STORE WINDOW, SO IN GENERAL, NOBODY KNOWS.
2:31:51
I'M Just SAYING, GROCERY STORES, I LOVE THEM.
2:31:54
THEY DO COVER Is that legal?
2:31:55
Is it illegal?
2:31:56
I don't know.
2:31:56
Nobody knows.
2:31:57
So I'm just saying, in general, it doesn't have to be answered today.
2:32:00
Somebody has to tell New York City what is or is not legal uncovering store windows?
2:32:05
I don't know.
Matt Waskiewicz
2:32:06
Today, nobody knows, and that is, in fact, the zoning in many places that that's either silent on the issue or ambiguous.
2:32:13
In this proposal, if you're in a commercial district, a commercial use has to have minimum of 50% transparency.
2:32:19
So that's a universal rule.
Gale A. Brewer
2:32:20
You didn't mention that, and it's nowhere written down anywhere.
Dan Garodnick
2:32:22
That's part of our streetscape improvement.
2:32:25
That's actually a proposal just so you just for reference.
Julie Stein
2:32:27
Okay.
2:32:28
I
Dan Garodnick
2:32:28
mean, it is proposal.
2:32:30
Number 12.
2:32:31
Thank you.
2:32:31
That knows it by heart.
2:32:33
And that's an important one because we actually don't wanna see either either storefronts that are blocked off or whole street scapes that are blocked off in ways that are unfriendly to residences.
2:32:46
And by the way, I will pivot that to answer one of your other questions.
2:32:49
That's another place where we see opportunity for artists because one way for you to actually create more versatility on a streetscape is for art and and for murals on a streetscape.
2:33:03
Stores needing addresses.
2:33:04
I am sorry that I cannot speak to immediately, but we should talk about that.
2:33:09
And vacant stores, you know, this this is really designed to change and modernize our zoning to enable more flexibility so that vacant storefronts do not sit vacant.
2:33:22
One of the challenges that makes us crazy at the department city planning is when people either cannot decipher the rules or the use groups are too finely tuned between C1 to C2 or C4 to C7.
2:33:35
They need to employ lawyers or expediters to be able to short it all out.
2:33:40
We need to streamline this stuff so that we do not perpetuate vacant storefronts because that is a it's a real issue in Manhattan.
2:33:47
It's a real issue beyond and that is central to what we're after in this.
Gale A. Brewer
2:33:50
Okay.
2:33:50
I mean, even just mandating that artists make art in vacant storefronts.
2:33:55
I know it's very radical It costs money blah blah blah, but that even storefront folks are asking me to have that as a possibility.
2:34:03
Maybe it's an interim step, art, art, art.
2:34:07
Thank you very much.