Q&A
Council Member Holden questions former City Planning employee about zoning changes
4:08:05
·
93 sec
Council Member Robert F. Holden engages in a Q&A session with Ronda Wist, a former City Planning employee, about her thoughts on the proposed zoning changes. Wist expresses that while parts of the proposal are useful, the approach of a citywide overhaul is complex and unprecedented.
- Wist notes that different boroughs and communities have varying issues, unlike previous citywide initiatives
- She acknowledges the complexity of the proposal, which is over 1000 pages long
- Wist praises Chairman Garodnik's presentation while highlighting the importance of addressing infrastructure issues
Robert F. Holden
4:08:05
Thank you, panel.
4:08:06
Some good and good information here.
4:08:07
I just wanna talk and ask Rhonda.
4:08:10
Is that that's your first name?
4:08:12
Yeah.
4:08:12
You worked for City Planning?
Ronda Wist
4:08:14
I did it a long time ago.
4:08:15
Yeah.
Robert F. Holden
4:08:16
And you're a city of yes that you're seeing.
4:08:19
Did you ever think you'd ever see something like this where most of the regulations are being thrown out?
4:08:25
Because city planning protected us in zoning.
4:08:28
It protected neighborhoods, the character of neighborhoods, it protected the where we bought into.
4:08:35
So what your take I'd like to hear your take on this to who's driving this.
Ronda Wist
4:08:41
Well, I I cannot speak to who's driving this, but I I I think that parts of it are actually very useful.
4:08:48
And so my my when I worked at City Planning, I don't think we would have done such an overall overhaul at one time.
4:08:58
Remember, the 1916 zoning resolution was fifty pages.
4:09:02
Right?
4:09:03
So when they first, you know, zoned New York City.
4:09:07
So this was, I don't know, over 1000 pages for us to digest.
4:09:11
I think it's been very, very complex.
4:09:13
I think had they done it.
4:09:14
This is me, and I don't work there.
4:09:16
I haven't worked there.
4:09:17
But obviously, they have a reason for doing it citywide.
4:09:20
But clearly, from what we're hearing here, you know, Queen's in Manhattan have very different issues unlike the city of yes for economic development where I think the issues were citywide.
4:09:30
I THINK HERE THE BUROs HAVE VERY, AND THE COMMUNITIES HAVE VERY DIFFERENT ISSUES FROM EACH OTHER.
4:09:35
SO I THINK IT'S VERY
Alia Soomro
4:09:37
IT'S VERY COMPLED.
