PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sherida Paulsen, Senior Principal at PKSB Architects
9:33:42
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144 sec
Sherida Paulsen, Senior Principal of PKSB Architects and former Chair of the NYC Landmark's Preservation Commission, testified against the adoption of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. While appreciating the effort to modernize zoning, she argued that the changes do not address affordability and may lead to negative developments in various neighborhoods.
- Paulsen criticized the proposal for potentially overriding special district regulations, threatening historic districts, and increasing density without adequate infrastructure.
- She emphasized the importance of maintaining community input in zoning decisions.
- Paulsen referenced Frederick Law Olmsted's 1876 report, suggesting that certain areas should not be developed for multifamily housing due to high construction costs.
Sherida Paulsen
9:33:42
Thank you.
9:33:44
My name is Sherida Paulson.
9:33:45
I'm the senior principal of PKSV Architects.
9:33:49
We're based on in Midtown, and I'm chair of the Riverdale Nature Preservancy And Former Chair of the New York City Landmark's Preservation Commission.
9:33:58
I am an architect and I do appreciate the City Planning Commission and the Department of City Planning for tackling the challenge of modernizing our zoning resolution, and I have supported many of the text changes as they streamline the language and allow for more common sense solutions for sustainable elements of building design.
9:34:21
However, I do not support adoption of the proposal as proposed.
9:34:28
The the text changes do nothing to increase affordability as they do not tackle any of the policy issues as Speaker Adams has rightly pointed out that create the opportunity or affordable housing.
9:34:42
More than that, the main components of the building changes increasing the footprints by reducing yard sizes, overriding special district regulations in many contexts, opening up historic districts to potentially inappropriate development and introducing increased density in neighborhoods that truly lack the infrastructure to support that density.
9:35:09
All of those specifics drive negative developments, and increasing density requires water management, transit connections, schools, and open space for recreation, and light and air.
9:35:22
It is important to note that our community board board, Aiden, the Bronx, did vote this down on many of these same issues.
9:35:32
But the biggest issue is we need to look to the past sometimes.
9:35:37
And if you look at Frederick Law Olmsted's report to the commissioners in 18 76.
9:35:44
He said that this area, our specific area, should never be a place for multifamily development simply because it would be too expensive to build.
9:35:54
So it is very important to maintain community input into these zoning decisions and city council decisions.
Shaun Abreu
9:36:03
Thank you very much for your testimony, miss Dawson.
Sherida Paulsen
9:36:06
Thank you very much.
Shaun Abreu
9:36:07
Do my colleagues have any questions?
