REMARKS
Lynn Schulman explains her vote against City of Yes zoning amendment
1:50:45
·
88 sec
Council Member Lynn Schulman explains her vote against LU 181 and Reso 689, known as City of Yes. She cites concerns about the rapid speed of the proposal's advancement and the lack of community engagement. Schulman also draws parallels to Robert Moses' urban planning projects and their long-term consequences.
- Schulman acknowledges her support for affordable housing and thanks the speaker and land use staff for their work on modifications.
- She expresses worry about potential unforeseen consequences of the zoning changes, similar to those resulting from Robert Moses' projects.
- Schulman votes no on City of Yes, citing constituent concerns and the need for careful consideration of long-term impacts.
Lynn Schulman
1:50:45
Permission to explain my vote?
1:50:47
Permission granted.
1:50:48
Thank you, madam chair.
1:50:50
I'm voting no on l u 181 and accompanying reso 689, City of Yes.
1:50:56
Coming from a working class family, I have been and will continue to be an advocate for affordable housing, and I wanna thank the speaker and the land use staff for the enormous amount of work they did on the modifications to the original plan.
1:51:07
I have several reasons for voting no, including the rapid speed in which the proposal was advanced, which from my perspective did not provide enough time for on the ground granular interaction with the communities I serve.
1:51:19
New York City zoning laws have not been updated since 1961.
1:51:23
And while there's great importance to updating the city zoning, the massive implications of any zoning revisions should be heavily weighed and discussed before being finalized.
1:51:31
In addition, about 50 years ago, a well known urban planner, Robert Moses, significantly reshaped the infrastructure and urban landscape of New York City.
1:51:39
However, in recent years, it was determined that a lot of the projects implemented by mister Moses resulted in fractured neighborhoods, restricted access to open space, and other issues with a negative impact on New Yorkers.
1:51:50
Changes made now to the city's zoning will be in effect for many years to come and I wanna make sure that 50 years from now we don't find ourselves in the same position of having to fix unforeseen consequences as we are with regard to what Robin Moses did.
1:52:03
While I won't be here in 50 years, my niece and nephew will be.
1:52:06
And for them and the many constituents who made their voices loud and clear about the city of yes, I'm voting no, aye, and all the rest.
