PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jack Bolembach, Member of Civic Associations against the City of Yes
5:45:48
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133 sec
Jack Bolembach, representing Civic Associations against the City of Yes, testified against the proposed zoning changes, emphasizing the importance of protecting residential neighborhoods and their character. He expressed concerns about the potential negative impacts of allowing rentals in garages, attics, and basements, as well as the risks of overloading electrical circuits.
- Argued that zoning has improved quality of life since the 1960s and should not be changed with a "one-size-fits-all" approach
- Raised concerns about the types of tenants who might rent newly created units in residential areas
- Mentioned the loss of 800,000 people from New York City since 2020, suggesting there is already available space for housing
Jack Bolembach
5:45:48
Yeah.
5:45:49
Thanks for this opportunity for for coming here.
5:45:52
I belong to my name is Jack Bolingbach.
5:45:54
I belong to Civic Associations against the city of yes, particularly for residential.
5:46:01
And I'm here not as a paid person.
5:46:03
I'm here just as a resident of the city of New York.
5:46:07
And there's a lot of problems for residential neighborhoods with this with the city of yes.
5:46:13
And I'll outline them quickly as I can.
5:46:15
I don't have any to read, but I'm just gonna talk about it.
5:46:18
One is zoning zoning has been implemented to protect neighborhoods.
5:46:22
Since 19 sixties, it's improved the quality of life of Staten Island is tremendously, and most of the residential neighborhoods around the city.
5:46:30
And this this doesn't matter where you live, who the people who are ethically, or or racially.
5:46:36
Everybody who owns homes is in the same situation.
5:46:39
This is our biggest investment.
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We wanna protect it.
5:46:43
There's some dangers to having the city, yes, in residential neighborhoods, and and there should be some changes maybe made to the to the to to zoning laws, like our constitution.
5:46:56
We have it.
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We have changed.
5:46:57
We have provisions that make changes, quote, amendments.
5:47:00
So there should be it should be looked at carefully, but nothing should be done.
5:47:05
The one shoe fits all, there's each neighborhood has a different character.
5:47:10
And one of the problems would be if if you if you have garages, attics, basements made into rentals.
5:47:18
Who are the people that are gonna be renting these in in these neighborhoods?
5:47:21
You don't know they could be addicts.
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They could be people with criminal records.
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You can have people with problems.
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You don't wanna raise children and grandchildren in neighborhoods like that.
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You may get people selling their houses to try to leave to go somewhere else.
5:47:35
You're gonna lose a tax base since 2020.
5:47:38
New York City lost 800,000 people already.
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So we we have spaces for for to to build to build housing.
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Our problem is affordability.
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Saturated should be addressed.
Kevin C. Riley
5:47:52
Thank you.
5:47:52
Okay, Zach.
5:47:53
You did a great job there.
Jack Bolembach
5:47:54
And electrical electrical problems or problem 2, circuits can be overloaded when houses
Kevin C. Riley
5:47:59
Appreciate it.
5:47:59
Thank you, Jack.
Jack Bolembach
5:48:00
Remember that causes fires.
