PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Paul Graziano, Urban Planner, on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
9:14:11
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132 sec
Paul Graziano, an urban planner, testifies against the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He represents over 200 organizations opposing the plan, arguing that New York City already has sufficient housing and zoning capacity. Graziano criticizes the Department of City Planning's presentation and claims the proposal would lead to significant increases in potential development in neighborhoods.
- Graziano states that NYC has the same population as in 1960 but 800,000 more housing units
- He claims current zoning capacity can accommodate 5-6 million more units without the City of Yes proposal
- Graziano accuses DCP Chair Garodnik of dismissing council members' concerns and presenting misleading information
- He warns that the proposal could lead to 300-500% increases in potential development in some neighborhoods
Paul Graziano
9:14:11
Can you hear me?
Shaun Abreu
9:14:12
Yes.
Paul Graziano
9:14:13
Thank you.
9:14:14
Good evening.
9:14:15
I'm Paul Graziano.
9:14:16
I'm an urban planner working with over 200 organizations representing the interest of close to a million residents of every ethnicity and income level all over the city who say no to the city of yes.
9:14:27
Most speakers in favor are lobbyists or paid representatives of organizations that have skin in the game Those who will financially or otherwise benefit from the city of yes should it be adopted.
9:14:37
Most speakers in opposition are residents of the city, homeowners, tenants, civic associations who are merely fighting for their homes and the survival of their neighborhood.
9:14:46
A few statistics.
9:14:47
Right now, we have the same population as we did in 1960 and 800,000 more units than we did then.
9:14:54
We have a 150,000 units approved to be built in the next 4 years, a record number In fact, according to experts, we have more housing in New York City than we've had during the past century.
9:15:05
Our current zoning capacity can accommodate another 5 to 6000000 units for another 8 to 12000000 people as of right.
9:15:12
This is if the zoning never changed again.
9:15:15
This is all without the city of yes.
9:15:17
Yesterday, chair Garodnik went out of his way to dismiss the concerns of many of the council members during q and a.
9:15:24
This he stated that neighborhoods that were contextually resumed had put up walls to keep people out and were racist and segregationists.
9:15:32
I would remind the council members that Garodnik voted in favor of these resignings when he was a council member and currently lives in a $2,400,000 coop on Central Park West in a historic district.
9:15:43
He also showed a slide of an area in Eastern Queens where he said the town center zoning proposal would allow for multifamily development where it cannot happen today.
9:15:52
The slide he showed is in my neighborhood, and the property is already zoned for multifamily development.
9:15:57
The theoretical neighborhood models that DCP created are completely bogus and purposefully so.
9:16:03
I've done deep analysis of over 2 dozen real neighborhoods.
9:16:07
The outcomes are simply staggering.
9:16:09
With 300% to 500% minimum increases in potential development if the city of yes becomes law.
Jess Coleman
9:16:15
Thank you, Paul.
Paul Graziano
9:16:16
A single family house with a 10
Daniel Mayo
9:16:18
or 20.
Paul Graziano
9:16:19
Apartment building will devastate a block and neighborhood immediately.
9:16:22
Thank you.
