TESTIMONY
Greg Morris, CEO, New York City Employment Training Coalition, on Modernizing Commercial Corridors and Zoning for Economic Recovery
7:00:43
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118 sec
Greg Morris, CEO of the New York City Employment Training Coalition, testifies on modernizing commercial corridors and zoning to support New York City's economic recovery and growth.
- Emphasizes the crucial role of local businesses and the potential of zoning to link workforce and economic development.
- Acknowledges the imperfections in the proposed zoning text amendments but stresses their importance for the city's future.
- Highlights the need for the city council's continuous oversight and accountability in planning commission decisions.
- Advocates for equitable development across all neighborhoods to ensure that the city's recovery benefits everyone.
- Suggests that modernizing commercial corridors and properly managing zoning are key to the city's economic revitalization and growth.
Greg Morris
7:00:43
This is Greg Morris.
7:00:44
Thank you council member Riley.
7:00:46
For your time and consideration leadership, you have been an extraordinary start to finish.
7:00:50
No surprise in all of this effort.
7:00:53
This is an extraordinary moment in our city's history.
7:00:56
I represent New York City Employment Training Coalition weighing it at this time because we believe our commercial portaditors should be modernized.
7:01:03
Local businesses should be at the forefront of the city's recovery.
7:01:06
We are weighing it as well because we believe Zoning can be used to link workforce development and economic development.
7:01:12
This is the pathway to economic growth.
7:01:14
The future of this city will be dependent on how we create work, learn and play spaces.
7:01:19
We champion entrepreneurship, grow industry, and find good jobs, especially manufacturing.
7:01:24
Listen, the proposed text amendments aren't perfect.
7:01:26
My submitted testimony highlights that.
7:01:28
But no question about that.
7:01:30
There's there's imperfection here.
7:01:31
Nothing is as simple as 4 or against in this case either, but our city has evolved and it's not going back.
7:01:38
So to my friends and colleagues on this, regardless of what side of the fence you're on.
7:01:43
I think there's something very important about coming together in this moment and ensuring a couple of things.
7:01:48
1, just acknowledging that our commercial and residential lines are probably already blurred, and we do need to straighten that out.
7:01:54
But the idea of patchwork solutions always result in winners and losers.
7:01:58
And we can't have that anymore.
7:01:59
In a city that is changing for the future where there is a path to economic recovery that we all should benefit from.
7:02:06
Council member, and and I'll I'll just say to you, I hope you do not see your oversight and accountability to the to the planning commission in this case.
7:02:16
You are you are the ones.
7:02:17
The city council are the ones that hold city to its standards and expectations.
7:02:21
I hope you will keep that, but that we continue to move forward with the zoning changes because something has to be different to ensure that our neighborhoods are better and thriving everywhere, not just where they have always found success.
7:02:35
Thank you for your time, consideration.
7:02:37
It has been an extraordinary long day.
7:02:39
You are a two people's champion.
7:02:40
Thank you, Cosmo.
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Laura Sewell, Director of The East Village Community Coalition, on Proposed City Policy Changes Impacting Commercial Vacancies and Affordable Housing
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Henry Euler, President of the Auburndale Improvement Association, on Concerns About the City of Yes Economic Opportunity Proposal