REMARKS
Council member expresses infrastructure concerns and community impact
3:25:20
·
3 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse raises significant concerns about the impact of the proposed zoning changes on infrastructure in her district, particularly in areas prone to flooding and sewer backups. She emphasizes the need to address existing infrastructure problems before adding more strain through development.
- Highlights specific examples of infrastructure failures in her district, such as sewer backups during rainstorms
- Questions how the city plans to assess and address the impact on infrastructure, especially in vulnerable areas
- Expresses the community's anxiety about potential worsening of existing problems
Mercedes Narcisse
3:25:20
This question is very I mean, for me to access, it's very tough for me.
3:25:24
I represent the 46 district.
3:25:27
When it rained, people just crossing their finger, their brain.
3:25:32
I have people talk to me during Sandy, during any little storm.
3:25:40
I have folks that give me nightmare every time I I mean, I remember how they came across to talk to me that there's a family that in part of my district, I believe in Bergen Beach, flushed the bathroom and the whole thing.
3:25:57
So, you know, it's just unbelievable.
3:26:00
So, to come to my question now, Every time there is any proposal for developmental I mean, development that we have, the biggest concern in our infrastructure, we have to access that.
3:26:14
How do you all plan to access the impact on the infra I mean, to address the impact on the infrastructure, especially for the area, La Magda District.
Daniel Garodnick
3:26:27
Thank you.
3:26:28
Well, first of all, it's a very important point, and I know that infrastructure is core to all things related to any council district and yours.
3:26:36
Certainly, you know, we understand that there are challenges that exist today throughout the city.
3:26:42
We also understand that When we looked at the incremental impacts of this proposal, they were not the sorts of things that rose to a point which made those problems materially worse.
3:26:56
That does not solve the problem, however, because you would rightly say to me, Well, you know, Dan, that's that that actually doesn't deal with the issue.
3:27:03
The most fundamental point here is that infrastructure needs are significant throughout the city.
3:27:09
We need to be investing in a thoughtful way, planning to be able to do this.
3:27:13
By embarking on a city wide strategy to allow for a little bit more housing in every neighborhood.
3:27:19
We actually are allowing our capital agencies to plan for what will happen in ways that are different from other circumstances.
3:27:27
I will also note that it's very different from when we do a neighborhood plan.
3:27:31
When we do a neighborhood plan, we expect more significant impacts on a local basis.
3:27:35
The example that I gave in my presentation or in response to one of the questions was we're looking at less than a unit per acre per year, over 15 years for individual neighborhoods.
3:27:47
Our neighborhood plans like Bronx, Metro North, is 47 units per acre.
3:27:52
Golanis, 42 units per acre.
3:27:55
You contrast that with the less than 1 unit per acre.
3:27:58
It is the sort of thing which our capital agencies have looked at these questions and have found in the circumstances of sewer and water infrastructure, no significant adverse impacts, but that does not solve your problem
Kevin C. Riley
3:28:09
at that.
Mercedes Narcisse
3:28:09
But the magnitude food of things that going on right now with the infrastructure, with the backflow.
3:28:16
My community is enraged right now because the hearing of it.
3:28:20
And for me, on the other hand, I understand what we have to do.
3:28:25
But if we don't address the problem, when we said increment in size, what do you mean for the people that dealing like the family I was just talking about?
3:28:35
So we have to address that then.
3:28:38
And we whatever that we do, we have to mitigate the further, I mean, strain on the community like myself, like mine.
3:28:47
Right?
3:28:48
None of the things.
3:28:49
So what in my community at first, a lot of people were excited when we were saying like, okay.
