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Council Member Sanchez questions DCP Director on neighborhood planning budget
0:49:01
ยท
152 sec
Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez inquires about the allocation of $5.9 million for DCP's neighborhood planning efforts, as committed in the City for All initiative. Director Dan Garodnick clarifies that this funding was for existing planning projects and provides information on additional funding for environmental review staff and future planning initiatives.
- The $5.9 million was allocated to complete environmental reviews for existing neighborhood plans like AIM UP, MSMX, Jamaica, and Long Island City.
- An additional $12.9 million in EIS funding has been added to DCP's budget between fiscal years 2025 and 2028 for future neighborhood planning studies.
- Garodnick emphasizes the importance of this funding for initiating neighborhood planning studies, calling it "mission critical."
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:49:01
Thank thank you, chair.
0:49:03
Okay.
0:49:04
There I go.
0:49:05
Just a quick follow-up.
0:49:07
Good good afternoon, chair Gurodnik.
0:49:09
As part of the city for all commitments, the administration committed to an additional $5,900,000 in fiscal year twenty five to support DCP's capacity for neighborhood planning efforts, as was mentioned.
0:49:22
Was that $5,900,000 reflected in the most recent budget modification?
0:49:26
And if not, where is it reflected in FY twenty six given that you mentioned that staffing headcount remains unchanged?
Dan Garodnick
0:49:33
It was thank you very much, and good to see you.
0:49:35
It was it was part of the neighborhood planning processes to allow us to get to the starting gate of the existing neighborhood plans, the ones that I mentioned in previously in this hearing.
0:49:50
The ones that remained were AIM UP, MSMX, Jamaica, Long Island City.
0:49:56
That was designed to get us to the finish for the environmental review for those projects.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:50:04
Okay.
0:50:05
So the 5,900,000.0 is not going toward new work.
0:50:08
It's it's it was going to to existing those existing planning projects.
Dan Garodnick
0:50:11
That's correct.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:50:14
Okay.
0:50:14
Is there is there new funds for the new commitments?
Dan Garodnick
0:50:18
Yes.
0:50:18
There is.
0:50:19
There are there there's about nearly a million dollars for environmental review staff at the Department of City Planning, which is extremely helpful because we need to make sure that we have the ability to process land use applications.
0:50:37
But I think the question that you're most interested in here is, are EIS funding going forward to allow us to achieve planning goals for things like say Fordham Road North or other types of initiatives?
0:50:52
And we have seen an addition of 12,900,000 in EIS funded funding added to our budget between fiscal years '25 and '28.
0:51:02
So this is recognized in the budget as an ongoing need for us.
0:51:07
It's a very important one for the reasons you're pointing out.
0:51:10
We can't initiate our own neighborhood planning studies without it.
0:51:14
So I regard that as mission critical funding for us.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:51:18
Well, thank you.
0:51:19
Thank you so much.
0:51:20
And Kingsbridge as well, environmental review for Kingsbridge.
0:51:23
And thank you for your partnership, chair.
0:51:25
I continue to be very proud that we could get to the finish line on City of Yes.
0:51:29
So thank you, chair, for your time.
Dan Garodnick
0:51:31
Thank you for all of your leadership.
0:51:33
We appreciate it.