PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mark Anderson, President of Westerleigh Improvement Society
10:29:47
·
126 sec
Mark Anderson, representing the Westerleigh Improvement Society, strongly opposes the City of Yes proposal. He argues that it will not provide affordable housing and raises concerns about infrastructure, safety, and the elimination of single-family housing.
- Criticizes the city's planning, citing issues with battery storage facilities in residential areas
- Expresses concerns about the safety of basement and garage conversions, particularly in flood-prone areas
- Highlights existing infrastructure problems, including sewage backups and lack of public transportation in some areas
Mark Anderson
10:29:47
Hi.
10:29:47
I'm Mark Anderson, the president of the Wesley Improvements society, and I represent about 10,000 people in the North Shore Staten Island.
10:29:56
We are already living with the careless planning and peril of the city of yes for carbon neutrality.
10:30:03
We're powerless to stop the environmental hazardous mass battery storage facilities from being built in our residential neighborhoods.
10:30:12
Our barrel wound up with over a dozen of these, and we only need 1.
10:30:17
The city, yes, will not provide affordable housing.
10:30:21
So come back with another proposal to address these concerns.
10:30:24
We say no
Romario Rodriguez
10:30:25
to the city of yes.
Mark Anderson
10:30:26
The American dream is under attack.
10:30:29
Why is this the single family housing being eliminated and blamed for an affordability of housing?
10:30:36
Our existing lack of infrastructure isn't even understood by the Department of City Planning.
10:30:42
When they came to our community board about this proposal, they they first asked the entire room, how many of you took the subway to this meeting?
10:30:52
We looked at it at each other and bewilderment because the nearest train is miles from the meeting site.
10:30:59
They had no idea.
10:31:01
Basements and garages are not for people.
10:31:04
They can't be made safe.
10:31:06
People will die in the floodwater and sewage backups.
10:31:12
Who do we hold accountable for this when people do die?
10:31:15
The city council?
10:31:18
We have some residents who've been forced to to pay as much as $10,000 in war to put in a valve to shut off their sewer when it rains, so they don't get these backups.
10:31:29
They can't even have people over for for a party when they think it's gonna rain because they can't use their bathroom.
10:31:38
Keep gardens or keep garden in garden apartments.
10:31:43
Keep residents and our representatives in the land use process as we are already living.
UNKNOWN
10:31:49
Thank you, Thomas.
Mark Anderson
10:31:50
Our input taken away.
10:31:52
We stream.
