PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Geoffrey Thomas, Homeowner in District 39
3:33:21
ยท
125 sec
Geoffrey Thomas, a homeowner in District 39, testifies in support of the Arrow Linen site rezoning application. He emphasizes the need for affordable housing and argues against demanding 100% affordability, which he believes could result in no development at all.
- Recommends considering the borough president's report for a balanced approach
- Cites an example from the Bronx where a 100% affordable project has not been built since 2021
- Encourages the council to approve the application while potentially asking for a slightly bigger commitment on affordability
Geoffrey Thomas
3:33:21
Good afternoon.
3:33:22
My name is Jeffrey Thomas.
3:33:23
I'm a homeowner in District 39.
3:33:25
I go to church about 2 2 blocks from the Arrowland site.
3:33:28
I do support this rezoning application.
3:33:30
I think it's appropriate for its block and very much needed in this district.
3:33:32
I've testified at the borough president's city planning commission hearings as of many people here.
3:33:36
Out of respect to the council's time, good luck.
3:33:38
I'd like to add 3 new things.
3:33:40
First off, please do read the borough president's report.
3:33:43
I think it takes community concerns seriously, including the concern that we need to see some housing get built, but also many other things you're hearing today, like concerns about the high price by the street.
3:33:51
It recommends earmarking more affordable units.
3:33:53
I don't a 100% agree with the report, but I think it's a good balance and I think the council would need a very strong case to go in a completely different direction.
3:33:59
2nd, at the CBC hearing, we also heard about the Concord Ave Bronx project we just heard about today, which is also about 30% affordable.
3:34:06
The commission asked them, why don't you do more affordable units?
3:34:09
And the applicant said, look at the site across the street from ours, which is proposed at a 100% affordability, approved in 2021, and still has not been built.
3:34:17
Now I completely agree that we have an affordable housing crisis.
3:34:20
That's why I wanna make sure that the affordable apartments in ours proposal actually successfully get built.
3:34:25
That Bronx site, you can go look at it.
3:34:27
It's an empty lot with overgrown weeds.
3:34:29
I believe they just said that.
3:34:30
That is the sad reality of demanding 100% affordability is you get a 100% of 0.
3:34:35
Opponents of the 3 in the voting have suggested a smaller 100% affordable building run by Catholic charities who start to write in to say they don't have the funds to build a building there.
3:34:42
If the council denies this U LIRP, hoping some alternative might still work out, you will get an empty lot with 0 affordable apartments for many years.
3:34:50
3rd, before the CPC voted a couple weeks ago, a DCP staff member made what I thought was an excellent point, which I'd like to quote, If we have an opportunity to build a 100% affordable housing, this density is absolutely appropriate.
3:35:02
I would say it's the minimum.
3:35:04
So I'm primarily concerned about making sure we get some affordable housing on this site.
3:35:08
There is probably room to ask for a little bigger commitment than what the applicant proposed.
3:35:11
I'm not here to defend the applicant making a profit.
3:35:14
I'm here to defend them being able to build it at all.
3:35:16
It would be an absolute shame if at the end of this long process, it turns out we asked for something unrealistic and we get an empty lot with overgrown weeds.
3:35:23
I encourage the council to approve this application.
3:35:25
Thank you.