Q&A
Council Member Carr raises concerns about infrastructure impacts of increased density
2:49:09
·
134 sec
Council Member David Carr expresses strong concerns about the potential infrastructure impacts of increasing density, particularly on water and sewer systems.
He questions the environmental review's conclusion of little to no impact, citing existing flooding issues in his district.
Chair Daniel Garodnick defends the environmental review process and explains its focus on incremental impacts.
- Carr argues that increasing density will exacerbate existing water and sewer problems
- Garodnick explains that the environmental review focuses on incremental impacts and found no significant adverse effects on water and sewer infrastructure
- The exchange highlights the tension between promoting development and addressing existing infrastructure challenges
David Carr
2:49:09
I have to, you know, second, the concerns articulated by our chair about his constituents with the effect on infrastructure in particular water and sewer.
2:49:17
And, you know, I don't know, you know, the members of the environmental team who did this study, there'd be little to no impact, and I'm sure people would be interested to know what legal cannabis retailer that they're all patronizing because the product must be very good.
2:49:30
But the the truth of the matter is I have areas of my district that have just been the beneficiaries of a new Capitol Sewer Project.
2:49:38
And they're already flooding.
2:49:40
So the notion that, oh, we're not gonna make existing situations worse or better by the impacts of increasing new density across that mile in Brooklyn and other places.
2:49:51
It just doesn't hold water.
2:49:53
No pun intended.
2:49:54
It's actually going to really exacerbate an already terrible problem, and we don't have enough money in our capital plan.
2:50:01
Now we're in the future to meet the current challenges that our neighborhood apps.
2:50:05
So can you please comment
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
2:50:06
on that?
Daniel Garodnick
2:50:06
Sure.
2:50:07
1st of all, there was no cannabis involved in the making of this environmental review.
2:50:10
2nd, the it is it is important to note what an environmental review does and what it does not.
2:50:17
The environmental review studies the incremental impacts of what you're proposing.
2:50:22
It does not say that your problems that exist today do not exist or that they will not exist tomorrow.
2:50:30
It says that the increment that is being proposed is not one that that rises to something of significance.
2:50:39
And I can tell you that this was a group of professionals who studied this under New York City and state law and came to the conclusion very clearly that as it related to water and sewer, there were no significant adverse impact.
2:50:51
Now, you can, you know, you can call to question their process and you you may want to.
2:50:56
You should feel free to go deep on the subject of how they came to that conclusion.
2:51:00
But most importantly, when it relates to increments of this size, which really are not great on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis, they are able to be accommodated by existing infrastructure, again, with the exception of 3 categories, which we found, but they were not the categories that you just know.
Kevin C. Riley
2:51:17
Thank you.
2:51:17
Counselor will be down
David Carr
2:51:18
for the next
Kevin C. Riley
2:51:19
Round 2?
2:51:19
Yeah.
2:51:20
Okay.
2:51:20
Thank you.
2:51:22
Chair of Centers.
