PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Megan Fitzpatrick, Director of Preservation and Research at Landmark West!
0:32:16
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123 sec
Megan Fitzpatrick, representing Landmark West!, expressed opposition to the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. She argued that the proposal would not increase affordable housing stock and instead benefit developers while negatively impacting neighborhood character and quality of life.
- Criticized the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) program, stating it would incentivize luxury apartment construction rather than truly affordable housing
- Raised concerns about the removal of the sliver law, potential changes to tower-in-the-park structures, and loosening of landmark transfer development rights regulations
- Emphasized support for changes that enhance livability and equity, but argued that the proposed changes do not further these goals
Megan Fitzpatrick
0:32:16
Hello, council members.
0:32:17
My name is Megan Fritz Patrick, and I'm speaking on behalf of Landmark West.
0:32:21
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
0:32:23
Landmark West is a neighborhood to start preservation and land use nonprofit based on the Upper West side.
0:32:28
We plan on submitting to the council detailed testimony on issues we find we feel impact our district the most.
0:32:35
City of EBS is an off a massive and often, internally inconsistent overhaul of our City zoning regulations.
0:32:41
While we are not opposed to updating our zoning, we do advocate for contextual zoning that will protect our neighborhoods and produce
Cheyanne Deopersaud
0:32:47
a more
Megan Fitzpatrick
0:32:47
environmentally conscious, viable, and affordable New York.
0:32:51
In our considered opinion, the city of yes for housing opportunity proposal will not serve these goals, contrary to certain claims in supportive proposals and will not significantly increase the stock of affordable housing, it will in fact it will legislatively make affordable housing optional.
0:33:10
In our opinion, City of Jasper Housing Opportunity will increase market rate development and already dense residential blocks, create substandard and unsustainable housing, supercharged gentrification, utilized cynically named affordability programs for the benefit of developers, contribute to traffic overflow in the neighborhood and affect community amenities that currently support our neighbors and quality of life.
0:33:35
Our committee is concerned that UAP will not yield affordable housing but will incentivize more construction of luxury apartments by giving large concessions to developers.
0:33:45
The removal of the existing sliver law, which prevents noncontextual construction in the mid block, will change the character of residential blocks.
0:33:53
Our city's valuable tower in the ParkStyle Structures which provide open green space in dense housing sites, will be compromised with campus infilling and loosening landmark transfer development rights regulations will allow taller market rate buildings, all the while removing these decisions, both from public scrutiny and input.
0:34:11
Our committee supports changes that will enhance livability and equity in our neighborhoods, very little of any of the proposed further that goal.
0:34:18
Thank you.
