PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by William Meehan, Member of Brooklyn Community Board 8
12:06:35
·
120 sec
William Meehan, speaking in his personal capacity as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 8, expresses strong support for the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He argues that the proposal is crucial for addressing New York's housing crisis and maintaining the city's historical role as a welcoming place for immigrants, refugees, and those seeking a better life.
- Emphasizes the need to lift outdated regulations to improve housing affordability and accessibility in all neighborhoods
- Specifically advocates for the elimination of parking mandates, citing them as a significant barrier to affordable housing production near subways
- Suggests that New York should follow the example of other cities that have completely eliminated parking mandates for all uses
William Meehan
12:06:35
Hi.
12:06:36
My name is William Meehan.
12:06:37
I am a member of Brooklyn CV8 speaking in my personal capacity in support of the city of yes, for housing opportunity.
12:06:45
New York has historically welcomed many immigrants and refugees throughout the centuries.
12:06:49
People have escaped famine, violence, and persecution, and made New York their home.
12:06:54
However, as we've seen with the migrant crisis over the last 2 years, this is no longer possible.
12:06:59
And we are unable to accommodate domestic migration for women seeking reproductive rights or personally to me as a gay man, queer youth escaping homophobic and transphobic laws in other states and other countries.
12:07:11
If we were to move from makeshift tents in a field to a housing first model, we must 1st build enough housing for everyone.
12:07:18
By lifting outdated and classest regulations, the city of Jasper housing opportunity can help tilt the skills back towards housing affordability and dependence.
12:07:26
An important aspect of city of yes is it will allow for new housing in all neighborhoods.
12:07:31
Too many community districts have effectively banned new housing through downzoning, including so called contextual soundzoning, lot size and setback requirements, and parking mandates.
12:07:40
I'd like to narrow in on parking mandates because I believe they are the key to unlocking more affordable housing near the subway.
12:07:46
I live in a prewar building without any off street parking.
12:07:49
Due to parking mandates, my home would be illegal to build today right where it is and in most of the city.
12:07:55
That's absurd.
12:07:56
Parking mandates stifle affordable housing production by requiring significant space for parking, which often ends up underground at great costs.
12:08:03
And the numbers are capricious.
12:08:05
It's better to let the market decide.
12:08:07
Parking mandates have already been eliminated in most of in all of Manhattan, in parts of Brooklyn and Queens due to the Clean Air Act.
12:08:14
So there's obviously health and climate benefits as well.
12:08:16
City of us actually does not go far enough in eliminating parking mandates, cities like Buffalo, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Portland, Oregon, and recently Austin have eliminated all parking mandates for all uses.
12:08:29
If these relatively car friendly cities can do it, then New York with the best transit in country can certainly do.
12:08:35
Thank you.
