TESTIMONY
Lucie Levine, Representative of the Historic Districts Council, on Concerns Over Zoning Text Amendments and Their Impact on Housing, Small Businesses, and Special Purpose Districts
3:39:35
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134 sec
Lucie Levine expresses the Historic Districts Council's concerns that proposed zoning text amendments do not adequately protect small businesses and could decrease the city's housing supply while weakening regulations for special purpose districts.
- Appreciates the city's interest in supporting post-pandemic economic resiliency but believes the amendments fall short
- Supports retention of long-term commercial storefronts in historic districts by eliminating the 2-year vacancy rule, but emphasizes the need for commercial rent stabilization
- Urges consultation with NYCHA residents on commercial development proposals to prioritize their needs and consider the historic integrity of landmarked or nationally-registered campuses
- Worries provisions could lead to a net loss of housing in favor of office and commercial space
- Opposes the proposed new discretionary zoning tool allowing DCP to waive limited bulk rules, fearing it will allow businesses to flout zoning
Lucie Levine
3:39:35
My name is Lucy Levine.
3:39:36
I'm speaking on behalf of the Historic Districts Council.
3:39:39
What follows is our abbreviated testimony.
3:39:42
HTC appreciates that the city is interested in supporting economic resiliency in post pandemic New York.
3:39:47
Unfortunately, we believe that post tax amendments do not provide adequate protection for small businesses and instead threaten to decrease the city's overall housing supply while weakening regulations that supports special purpose districts.
3:40:01
We are heartening to see that COYEO supports the retention of long term commercial storefronts in historic districts by eliminating the 2 year vacancy rule that currently restricts commercial use.
3:40:11
We believe this change will help long standing legacy business by legalizing what is currently a non permitted use, and we feel this provision must be accompanied by commercial rent stabilization.
3:40:22
Regarding COYEO's proposals for commercial development on nitrile campuses, we urge close consultation with nitrile residents around these proposals order to prioritize residents' needs and consider the historic integrity of some campuses, which are landmarked or listed on the national register.
3:40:39
We also find retention of housing to be one of the most urgent needs facing our city.
3:40:43
Thus, we are concerned that provisions in COYEO could together lead to a net loss of how housing in favor of office and commercial space.
3:40:51
However, we are in favor of COYEO's proposed modernization of loading dock requirements which we believe can yield more housing and ease the adaptive reuse of historic structures.
3:41:01
That said, we are concerned about COIEO's proposed new fectionary zoning tool, which would allow DCP to wave limited both rules.
3:41:09
We are concerned this would allow businesses to cloud zoning at will simply by claiming their business is constrained by the existing shape of their building.
3:41:18
Given that DCP seems eager to allow vast changes to the size, shape, and usage of New York's building stock, we are concerned about COIEEO's provision to create consistent ground floor design requirements at the expense of special districts.
3:41:33
The stated goal is to foster violent neighborhoods by activating commercial corridors, but we fear that these changes will instead lead to less vibrant streets because the city will lose the regulatory power to leverage a given neighborhood's unique characteristics to help promote its social and economic vibrancy.
3:41:49
Thank you.