PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ronda Wist, Board Member of FRIENDS of the Upper East Side
4:02:38
·
115 sec
Ronda Wist, a board member of FRIENDS of the Upper East Side and former Director of Landuse at the City Planning Department, expressed disappointment with the proposed City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (CHO) plan. She argued that the plan would not effectively address the affordable housing crisis in Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood.
- Wist contended that the "trickle-down theory" of real estate development has failed in Yorkville, with affordable units being replaced by luxury condos.
- She criticized the idea that allowing taller buildings would create affordable housing, citing past examples of successful affordable developments.
- Wist called for partnerships between the city and various entities (financial, social, union, environmental, and neighborhood) to create truly affordable housing solutions.
Ronda Wist
4:02:38
Good afternoon, Chair Riley and and Council members.
4:02:41
I'm Rhonda Wist.
4:02:42
Previously, I was the Director of Landuse of the City Planning Department, Executive Director at Landmarks And Vice President of MAS.
4:02:49
Now I'm in the board of friends of the upper east side, but today I'm speaking on behalf of myself.
4:02:54
I was very disappointed that this is the best that the city's urban planners could come up with from Manhattan.
4:02:59
My neighborhood, Yorkville needs affordable units because for years, decision makers, and the media have been silent as hundreds of reasonably priced units have been replaced by luxurious oversized condos.
4:03:11
City planning says that every community must take a little more housing.
4:03:15
Using York Hill as our evidence, we know that the trickle down theory of real estate development does not work.
4:03:21
Zoning and zoning lot mergers combined with lack of planning have actually caused the destruction of affordable units.
4:03:27
These demolished 4 to 6 storey buildings housed New Yorkers for decades, the very people that decision makers purport to care about.
4:03:34
Could you possibly fool yourselves into thinking that more ultra luxury buildings will foster even a tiny number of affordable units?
4:03:41
If that's the case, why hasn't that happen in your field?
4:03:44
Zoning to allow even taller buildings will not address our affordable housing crisis.
4:03:49
How we learned nothing from the past when affordable and dense developments such as the historic Cherokee apartments, Tudor City, converted hotels, Penn South, and SROs were constructed.
4:03:59
Small family apartments and studios were offset by outdoor space.
4:04:03
We need affordable apartments, knock grandiose three story lobbies, indoor soccer pitches, and yoga studios.
4:04:09
If the city wants to add housing that will support existing communities, it must partner with other agencies and entities financial, social, union, environmental, and neighborhood.
4:04:18
Otherwise, this document is simply a real estate road map to promote $4,000,000 apartments in ghost stores, make a few more developers even richer and neighborhoods even less diverse.
4:04:28
City Council, Yorkville needs affordable units, and the city of yes needs your help.
4:04:33
Thank you.
