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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Barry Weinberg, First Vice Chair of Manhattan Community Board 9, on 135th Street Rezoning
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Barry Weinberg, representing Manhattan Community Board 9, testified in opposition to the 135th Street rezoning application. He corrected misrepresentations about the existing structure and highlighted concerns about environmental conditions, overbuilding, and the impact of a previous street collapse on the building's functionality.
- The existing structure is already overbuilt for its zoning due to a previous lot subdivision
- The building's lack of tenants is due to a street collapse that cut off water and electricity, not market conditions
- Amtrak has expressed concerns about the rezoning occurring before they agreed to any development on the site
- Environmental reviews indicate hazards due to contaminated soil, proximity to highways and railroads, and location in a floodplain
Barry Weinberg
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Thank you.
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I'm Barry Weinberg, the 1st vice chair of Manhattan Community Board 9.
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We submitted a resolution and opposition to this application, and we have a lot of reasons listed there that environmental conditions have been mentioned.
0:56:56
But I want to talk today to correct some of the misrepresentations that have been presented about the existing structure.
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The existing structure is on a lot that was previously subdivided from its rear lot and is thus essentially over a 100% overbuilt.
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For its existing zoning and square footage.
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The failed tendencies have occurred because there is no power or water to the building and the street collapsed.
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Previously, the building was a 100% leased by an operator who was opening 3 establishments there and was doing the work to begin when the street collapsed.
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0:57:31
So the fact that
Barry Weinberg
0:57:31
there has been no tendency for the past 7 years as a result of the building not having any water or electricity because the building owner caused the street collapse that damages sewage interceptor.
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The building is also not making any improvements to the streetscape.
0:57:44
The community board in conversation with DOT, DEP, and design and construction, DDC, negotiated the scope of that pair project to include sidewalks on both the east and west side of the avenue as well as some ability to do murals on the wall adjacent to the Amtrak tracks.
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And so I I think that, like, I wanna correct this.
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This is an establishment of building that has had successful commercial and industrial establishments up until the street collapse.
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It is already exceeding its existing zone capacity due to a subdivision that resulted in substantial profits for the ownership of the lots.
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And their own environmental review has indicated that the contaminated soil, the adjacency of the highway, the adjacency of the railroad, and the presence in a floodplain merits an environmental hazard designation.
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So, you know, we have communicated with Amtrak.
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Amtrak has expressed its deep concern that this rezoning was occurring before they had agreed to any development on the site.
0:58:46
And, you know, that those letters of concern, I believe, have also been submitted from Amtrak and from the roadside park conservancy.