PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Kaess, Resident of Morris Park, Bronx on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
6:33:50
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101 sec
Michael Kaess, a resident of Morris Park in the Bronx, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He emphasized the importance of changing zoning rules to create new housing opportunities and strongly advocated for the elimination of residential parking mandates.
- Kaess argued that eliminating parking mandates would not eliminate parking, citing examples where developers included parking spaces even when not required.
- He criticized the restoration of parking mandates in the Bronx Metro North plan and urged the council to pass the full City of Yes proposal.
- Kaess stressed that weakening the proposal would pose a greater risk to quality of life in the city.
Michael Kaess
6:33:50
Hi.
6:33:51
My name is Michael Cass, and I'm
Braden Crooks
6:33:52
a resident in Morris Park, the Bronx.
Michael Kaess
6:33:54
As a local advocate, I've been proud to support all types of housing in my district.
6:33:59
From supportive housing projects like just home, Trees earnings like the Brunkner sites and the Bronx Metro North Neighborhood Plan.
6:34:05
Getting these projects and applications passed are no doubt critical to easing the housing shortage in communities like mine.
6:34:12
However, the majority of housing built in New York City continues to be through as of right development in existing zoning districts, and it's because new housing hasn't kept up with demand that it is imperative that we change our zoning rules to create new opportunities for housing.
6:34:26
In particular, it's critical that the residential parking mandate be eliminated.
6:34:31
Now, to be clear, eliminating the parking mandate will not eliminate parking.
6:34:35
Yesterday, my council member, Marmarado, claimed that without the mandate, developers won't give parking, but we already know that's not the case.
6:34:43
We even saw an example from our district in the presentation yesterday.
6:34:47
2560 Boston Road is due to include over 100 parking spaces when none were required.
6:34:54
During the Bronx Metro North neighborhood plan hearing, developers testified that they were concluding ample parking in their projects even when the parking mandate was proposed to be eliminated in the special district.
6:35:06
Now with the Bronx metro North plan, I was critical of the council for restoring the unnecessary parking mandate after negotiations.
6:35:14
However, with city of yes, we have a chance to correct that mistake.
6:35:17
So we don't end up with underbuilt sites next to the transit we invested 1,000,000,000 of dollars in.
6:35:23
I urge the council to pass the full city of yes Weakening this proposal represents a far greater risk to our quality of life.
6:35:30
Thank you.
