PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sean McLaughlin on Arrow Linen Rezoning
3:38:53
ยท
89 sec
Sean McLaughlin, a Brooklyn resident, speaks in favor of the Arrow Linen rezoning project in Windsor Terrace. He emphasizes the need for new housing to combat the severe housing shortage and rising cost of living in New York City. McLaughlin highlights the benefits of the proposed development, including affordable housing units and the opportunity to invite new neighbors to the community.
- The project will provide 244 apartments, with 61 (1 out of 4) being permanently affordable units.
- McLaughlin argues that reducing the size or scale of the development would negatively impact both market-rate and affordable housing availability.
- He points out that Windsor Terrace is behind other Brooklyn neighborhoods in new housing development, with only 175 units developed in 2022 compared to the citywide average of 445.
Sean McLaughlin
3:38:53
My name is Sean McLaughlin.
3:38:55
I'm a Brooklyn resident, and I'm speaking in favor of the area of Linen rezoning.
3:38:59
New York is suffering from a severe housing shortage that is leading to substantial rise in the cost of living.
3:39:03
This cost of living crisis is impacting residents in Windsor Windsor Terrace across Brooklyn and across all of New York.
3:39:08
Rising housing costs are making it increasingly harder for New York families to stay in their neighborhoods and for children raised in New York to stay in the city and for new neighbors from around the world to join our communities.
3:39:17
The most effective way to combat these rising costs is to build new housing.
3:39:20
This rezoning is a perfect opportunity to relieve the cost of living pressures in this neighborhood.
3:39:24
It is important to note that this redevelopment will lead to 1 out of 4 new units being permanently affordable.
3:39:28
That means lower middle class residents will be able to live in also be able to live in Windsor Terrace.
3:39:32
Reducing the size or scale of this development will not only reduce the number of market rate units entering New York City's housing market, but many of these affordable units as well.
3:39:40
Each of these units that is not built directly leads to a family that could not live in this neighborhood that otherwise could have.
3:39:45
Continued delays and modifications to the proposal will also lead to substantial delays that leave these potential residents hanging out for even longer.
3:39:51
It is also important to emphasize that this neighborhood is well behind the pace of other neighborhoods in Brooklyn in terms of new units being developed.
3:39:58
Specifically, only a 175 units were developed in 2022 compared to the citywide average of 445.
3:40:04
Every neighborhood has to do their part and contribute to fighting our city's housing crisis and take development pressure off of other neighborhoods who have had who have had the most new development in recent years.
3:40:13
This resuming rezoning is an excellent opportunity to reduce cost of living in Brooklyn and invite new neighbors across all income levels to join our community.
3:40:20
I'm strongly in favor of it.
3:40:21
Thank you for your time.