PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jean Hahn, Homeowner from Forest Hills, Queens
13:10:52
·
150 sec
Jean Hahn, a homeowner from Forest Hills, Queens, strongly opposes the City of Yes proposal, arguing it will strip zoning decisions from local community boards and negatively impact quality of life in low-density neighborhoods. She expresses concerns about infrastructure strain, safety issues with ADUs and basement conversions, and the removal of parking requirements.
- Criticizes the plan for not addressing vacant units or planning for new schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure
- Argues that up-zoning does not guarantee more affordable housing and may lead to displacement
- Emphasizes the importance of maintaining local control over housing decisions through community boards
Jean Hahn
13:10:52
Hi.
13:10:52
Thank you for staying up so late.
13:10:55
I am strongly my name is Jean Han, and I'm a homeowner in Forest Hills Queens.
13:10:59
I am strongly posed to the city of Yes, which is an ill conceived plan designed to strip away zoning decisions from local community board because we are not a one size fits all city.
13:11:09
There's a saying never waste a good crisis, while City of Yes does this with the zoning proposal.
13:11:14
Gatelight air and open space are important quality electronic issues, which are embedded in our zoning and building codes for a reason, tossing them to the wayside for City of Yes because we're in a housing, quote unquote, housing crisis.
13:11:26
Is akin to throwing a baby out with the bathwater because up zoning does not translate to or guarantee more affordable housing as said market and luxury developments get built pushing low income residents out.
13:11:38
We have all seen examples of this historically and everywhere.
13:11:42
If we are truly in a housing crisis, why isn't more being done to bring vacant units back on the market where it wouldn't put a strain on our aging infrastructure?
13:11:50
Where are the plans for a new school building, hospitals, police departments, utilities, etcetera, etcetera.
13:11:56
We'll developer be given freebies when our infrastructure is further over burning.
13:12:00
At the end of the day, we know it will fall on taxpayers who are already struggling with current inflation.
13:12:05
As opposed to the expansion of transit and town center sites, which would negatively affect the historic and contextual fabric of my low density neighborhood, which my neighbors and I pay a hefty premium property tax to live in.
13:12:16
I'm opposed to committing ADUs and basements and beeryards as of right.
13:12:20
Cram spaces are not quality of life.
13:12:22
We're neither the residents nor their neighbors, and, again, brings up the questions of infrastructure.
13:12:28
Legalizing illegal basement conversions does not give a space any safer.
13:12:32
I'm opposed to needing the parking department.
13:12:35
Many families and queens rely on cars because we have we we live in transit deserts to say we don't need parking.
13:12:41
It's discriminatory against those that that need a car to get around and those that live in transit Deserts, which are pretty much everywhere outside of high density areas.
13:12:51
One other elephant in the room is a class size wall where 5 out of the 7 school districts and queens have chronic overcrowding.
13:12:58
As it is, they're on a next seats within the districts that accommodate the law.
13:13:02
So we're just we're the new families that are being built in these multistory buildings.
UNKNOWN
13:13:08
The times expired.
13:13:09
Thank you.
Jean Hahn
13:13:10
Well, as many have said here, let the people control the housing process of the decision made at the local community board strongly urged city council to imagine Yeah.
UNKNOWN
13:13:21
Tom's expired.
