REMARKS
Community Board 11 Chair explains opposition to 'City of Yes' proposal
1:12:24
·
122 sec
Paul DiBenedetto, Chair of Queens Community Board 11, outlines the reasons for opposing the 'City of Yes' proposal, focusing on existing zoning enforcement issues and concerns about neighborhood impact.
- He highlights the Department of Buildings' inability to enforce current zoning regulations, particularly regarding illegal apartments
- DiBenedetto expresses concerns about removing parking mandates and the impact on local parking availability
- He argues that existing zoning already allows for development along major boulevards, and that the city's population hasn't reached the levels projected in the 1961 zoning plan
Paul DiBenedetto
1:12:24
We have we have the same issues, and and a lot of it comes down to.
1:12:29
The Department of Buildings can't enforce the current zoning we have.
1:12:33
You're gonna add so many new layers.
1:12:35
How that you cannot get into an illegal apartment mean, there's illegal apartments all over my neighborhood.
1:12:41
You cannot get into the the the not me, but the Department of Billings can't get into them because everybody knows you just don't answer the door when the DOV comes, and you don't let them in.
1:12:49
And so you have illegal apartments and and basements.
1:12:51
In addicts, in garages in some cases.
1:12:54
And, you know, legalizing that doesn't help, but taking away the parking mandates doesn't help because where where are all these all these new people gonna park?
1:13:03
You know, we have zoning built into our our our area.
1:13:07
That is is now finally coming into r 6 b, up and down Northern Boulevard up and down Bell Boulevard.
1:13:13
Apartment buildings are being built, 6 stories.
1:13:16
Do I like that personally?
1:13:17
I may I may not like that, but it is it is under the current zoning.
1:13:21
We have a 16,000,000 when when 1961, since people mentioned mentioned the the zoning amendment or the zoning plan from 1961, it was built it says it in the Department of City Planning website, that it was built for 16,000,000 people to live in New York City.
1:13:39
Now that never happened.
1:13:40
We had we had a little over 8,000,000, and according to this Urban City Planning website as well, we've lost 6 to 800,000 people since the year 2000.
1:13:50
So I have I understand that there's a housing affordability crisis, and I agree with that.
1:13:55
But, you know, we we can build what we have now.
1:13:57
We don't have to tear apart these neighborhoods of 100 plus years old homes in order to make new new housing.
1:14:04
There's zoning all every single home that exists in my neighborhood that is in that isn't a larger than I'd say that is in a multifamily zone gets torn down and replaced with a multifamily home.
1:14:17
I don't mind that.
1:14:18
I think it's fine.
1:14:19
But just let it happen.
1:14:20
It's been happening all along.
1:14:22
It'll continue to happen.
Robert F. Holden
1:14:24
Thank you so much.
1:14:25
Thanks.
Paul DiBenedetto
1:14:25
Thank you.
1:14:25
Thanks.
1:14:26
Thank you.
Kevin C. Riley
1:14:26
Thank you, councilman and Monte, fire white councilman, Valentino.
