PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Rachel George, Resident and Board Member of 400 East 67th Street
2:00:18
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144 sec
Dr. Rachel George, a resident and board member of 400 East 67th Street, testified against the proposed MSK Pavilion project, expressing concerns about its impact on the neighborhood and questioning the necessity of its size.
- Requested the building height be reduced by 200-250 feet and include setbacks
- Questioned the need for 28 operating rooms, citing potential changes in cancer treatment due to computational biology and AI
- Called for an epidemiologist to analyze the projected cancer rate increases used to justify the project
Dr. Rachel George
2:00:18
Good afternoon.
2:00:19
I'm Doctor Rachel George.
2:00:21
I live at 400 East 67th Street.
2:00:24
The building called Doloro.
2:00:27
This building, I have not heard it discussed at all.
2:00:29
We are next door to the church, and we have a 129 apartments, many of them with children as well.
2:00:38
I am a building unit owner, a board member and the mother of 2 children.
2:00:43
I was attending at Columbia Presbyterian And Faculty in the Department of Oral Radiology.
2:00:48
I feel like I live in that neighborhood because I love it.
2:00:52
It is a neighborhood.
2:00:54
We have parks We have schools.
2:00:56
We have businesses.
2:00:57
We have many elderly and young children, and it is truly a community.
2:01:02
But a world class medical community is existing with us.
2:01:07
I don't think we need another hospital.
2:01:10
I would like to request that the proposed building height be reduced by 250 feet or at least 200 feet and include setbacks.
2:01:19
Setbacks would provide my building with at least blush shadows and some light.
UNKNOWN
2:01:26
It just doesn't fit in.
Dr. Rachel George
2:01:28
The highest building in our area is 424 feet, I believe, and that is the Zuckerman Research Tower.
2:01:38
I feel that this building size is informed by a need for 28 operatories or ORs, and I just think that the future of medicine is changing very rapidly.
2:01:48
We need to think about that.
2:01:49
I have an article here about how computational biology and artificial intelligence are changing cancer care.
2:01:56
This is written by MSK, so you guys have it.
2:02:00
But it is changing.
2:02:02
If we'd build a building based on the way we're doing surgery today and the way we're doing that.
2:02:07
And just because these numbers increase, I mean, I'd love to hear an epidemiologist talk about those numbers.
2:02:12
Because just because you have more cancer, you're not treating more cancer.
2:02:16
Not necessarily.
2:02:17
Depends on what we're doing.
2:02:18
And are we finding more cancer?
2:02:20
Because of these new technologies.
2:02:22
I mean, I'd like to see and hear someone with a math or epidemiological background discuss those numbers.
2:02:29
If MSK could do that, I'd love to hear about it.
2:02:32
But I think we do have to think about how much surgery and medicine will be changing.
2:02:37
And do we need that large and that many ORs?
Kevin C. Riley
2:02:40
Thank you, miss George.
UNKNOWN
2:02:41
Thank you.
Kevin C. Riley
2:02:42
There may no questions for this matter.