The citymeetings.nyc logo showing a pigeon at a podium with a microphone.

citymeetings.nyc

Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

TESTIMONY

Diane Viggiano from Old Town Civic Association of Staten Island on concerns about City of Yes for Housing Opportunity's impact on Staten Island

5:49:45

·

150 sec

Report an issue

Diane Viggiano, representing the Old Town Civic Association of Staten Island, expresses strong opposition to the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan. She argues that the proposed changes would negatively impact Staten Island's quality of life, infrastructure, and environment.

  • Criticizes the plan for promoting high-rise buildings along Staten Island Rapid Transit and encouraging multi-family habitation in homes' attics, basements, and garages
  • Opposes the idea of backyard cottages, citing concerns about reduced light, air, and tree coverage
  • Argues against eliminating parking requirements, noting the prevalence of car ownership and multi-generational households on Staten Island
  • Urges planners to reconsider the proposal, suggesting a focus on repurposing empty buildings in Manhattan instead
  • Opposition to high-rise buildings along Staten Island Rapid Transit
  • Concern about promoting multifamily habitation in attics, basements, and garages
  • Opposition to building cottages in backyards, which could reduce light, air, and trees
  • Disagreement with eliminating parking space requirements for new construction
  • Worry about degradation of quality of life due to increased housing, traffic, and population
  • Concern about strain on infrastructure, educational and medical services
  • Request for a borough-specific plan instead of a one-size-fits-all approach
  • Suggestion to consider using empty buildings in Manhattan for housing
  • Appeal to preserve the 'American dream' of a peaceful place to live and raise families

[EXPERIMENTAL]

Which elements of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity were discussed in this testimony?

  • Residential Conversions
  • Parking Mandates
  • ADU
  • Transit-Oriented Development

The following are AI-extracted quotes and reasoning about which elements of the proposal were discussed in this testimony.

This is a quick, close approximation. Occasionally, the connection between a testimony's transcript and specific elements of City Planning's proposal is tenuous.

Read about this AI-generated analysis here.

Residential Conversions

"Also, your plan promotes multifamily habitation on every bit of in inhabitable space in our homes, including attics, basements, and garages."

This quote discusses the proposal's aim to allow for residential conversions of non-traditional living spaces, which aligns with the Residential Conversions element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

Parking Mandates

"To top it off, your plan would eliminate the need for parking spaces in new construction even though most presidents on Staten Island commute by car, with some homes having 4 or 5 cars, one for each family member."

This quote directly addresses the proposal's plan to remove parking mandates for new construction, which is a key element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

ADU

"You even came up with the idea of allowing the building of cottages in backyards, which would cut off the light and air in our neighborhoods."

This quote directly refers to the proposal's plan to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), specifically mentioning backyard cottages, which is a key component of the ADU element in the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

Transit-Oriented Development

"For example, you proposed the addition of high rise buildings in areas along the Staten Island Rapid Transit."

This quote discusses the proposal's plan to add high-rise buildings near public transit, which aligns with the Transit-Oriented Development element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.


About this analysis:

This analysis is done by AI that reasons whether or not a quote from the testimony discusses a particular element of the proposal.

All the prompts and data are open and available on Github.

You can search for testimonies that mentioned a specific element in the table on the main meeting page.

When an element is explicitly stated in the testimony (e.g. "Universal Affordability Preference" or "UAP"), the analysis is accurate.

But the connection between a quote from the testimony and an element of the proposal is sometimes implicit.

In these cases, the AI might eagerly label a testimony as discussing a proposal when the connection is tenuous, or it might omit it entirely.

↗ Why are there transcription and diarization errors?
Diane Viggiano
5:49:45
Thank you so much.
5:49:46
Good afternoon, Chairman and conditioners.
5:49:48
I'm Diane DeGiano from the Old Town Civic Association of Staten Island.
5:49:54
The city of yes for housing opportunity is supposed to add a little more housing to our neighborhoods, but unfortunately, we can't accept this assumption.
5:50:05
For example, you proposed the addition of high rise buildings in areas along the Staten Island Rapid Transit.
5:50:15
Also, your plan promotes multifamily habitation on every bit of in inhabitable space in our homes, including attics, basements, and garages.
5:50:30
You even came up with the idea of allowing the building of cottages in backyards, which would cut off the light and air in our neighborhoods.
5:50:41
As well as the trees, which are vital to improving the environment and our air quality.
5:50:49
To top it off, your plan would eliminate the need for parking spaces in new construction even though most presidents on Staten Island commute by car, with some homes having 4 or 5 cars, one for each family member.
5:51:07
This is quite prevalent as many homes have become multigenerational.
5:51:14
The zoning changes in your plan would degrade our quality of life.
5:51:20
The prospect for life on Staten Island would become quite bleak.
5:51:25
Much more housing, much more traffic with its pollution, substantial stress on our infrastructure, a plentiful increase in population, and strain on our educational and medical services.
5:51:41
Please go back to the drawing board and design a plan which suits each of the boroughs of New York City.
5:51:49
Consider more seriously the empty buildings in Manhattan and how you could facilitate their use for housing.
5:51:58
Listen to our pleas and those of the numerous community boards throughout New York City, the city we deeply love.
5:52:06
Don't take away our American dream of a peaceful place to live and raise our families.
5:52:12
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

Follow-up discussion/remarks

REMARKS

Chair Garodnick clarifies aspects of City of Yes housing proposal

5:52:17

·

120 sec

Dan Garodnick, Chair of the City Planning Commission, responds to concerns raised by a Staten Island resident about the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He clarifies several points, emphasizing that the proposal aims to be more flexible and accommodating than initially perceived.

  • Explains that office-to-residential conversions are intended to fill empty buildings in Manhattan and beyond
  • Clarifies that the proposal doesn't eliminate parking needs but removes minimum mandates
  • Emphasizes that 'high-rise' buildings are not being proposed, defining the suggested 3-5 story buildings as modest
  • Notes that accessory dwelling units (backyard cottages) are optional for homeowners, not mandated
  • Opposition to high-rise buildings along Staten Island Rapid Transit
  • Concern about promoting multifamily habitation in attics, basements, and garages
  • Opposition to building cottages in backyards, which could reduce light, air, and trees
  • Disagreement with eliminating parking space requirements for new construction
  • Worry about degradation of quality of life due to increased housing, traffic, and population
  • Concern about strain on infrastructure, educational and medical services
  • Request for a borough-specific plan instead of a one-size-fits-all approach
  • Suggestion to consider using empty buildings in Manhattan for housing
  • Appeal to preserve the 'American dream' of a peaceful place to live and raise families

[EXPERIMENTAL]

Which elements of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity were discussed in this testimony?

  • Residential Conversions
  • Parking Mandates
  • ADU
  • Transit-Oriented Development

The following are AI-extracted quotes and reasoning about which elements of the proposal were discussed in this testimony.

This is a quick, close approximation. Occasionally, the connection between a testimony's transcript and specific elements of City Planning's proposal is tenuous.

Read about this AI-generated analysis here.

Residential Conversions

"Also, your plan promotes multifamily habitation on every bit of in inhabitable space in our homes, including attics, basements, and garages."

This quote discusses the proposal's aim to allow for residential conversions of non-traditional living spaces, which aligns with the Residential Conversions element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

Parking Mandates

"To top it off, your plan would eliminate the need for parking spaces in new construction even though most presidents on Staten Island commute by car, with some homes having 4 or 5 cars, one for each family member."

This quote directly addresses the proposal's plan to remove parking mandates for new construction, which is a key element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

ADU

"You even came up with the idea of allowing the building of cottages in backyards, which would cut off the light and air in our neighborhoods."

This quote directly refers to the proposal's plan to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), specifically mentioning backyard cottages, which is a key component of the ADU element in the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

Transit-Oriented Development

"For example, you proposed the addition of high rise buildings in areas along the Staten Island Rapid Transit."

This quote discusses the proposal's plan to add high-rise buildings near public transit, which aligns with the Transit-Oriented Development element of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.


About this analysis:

This analysis is done by AI that reasons whether or not a quote from the testimony discusses a particular element of the proposal.

All the prompts and data are open and available on Github.

You can search for testimonies that mentioned a specific element in the table on the main meeting page.

When an element is explicitly stated in the testimony (e.g. "Universal Affordability Preference" or "UAP"), the analysis is accurate.

But the connection between a quote from the testimony and an element of the proposal is sometimes implicit.

In these cases, the AI might eagerly label a testimony as discussing a proposal when the connection is tenuous, or it might omit it entirely.

↗ Why are there transcription and diarization errors?
Dan Garodnick
5:52:17
Thank you, Ms.
5:52:17
Vinciano.
5:52:18
We appreciate it.
5:52:21
I just want to refer for your benefit to of elements of the proposal, which may be worth considering we are trying to help to fill empty office buildings in Manhattan by enabling office to residential conversions.
5:52:37
Of course, that would be an opportunity that would be beyond Manhattan as well.
5:52:42
Under this proposal.
5:52:44
We're not suggesting that we would eliminate the need for parking.
5:52:48
It just would eliminate a minimum mandate as to the precise number of parking spaces.
5:52:54
So what we have seen in places where they have done exactly this.
5:52:59
In areas where it's difficult to access transit, parking continues to be provided and we of course did not propose a maximum number of parking spaces here recognizing that they are parts of the city, including your neighborhood, which may very well have more significant need.
5:53:18
Also just flagging that we are not proposing high rise buildings.
5:53:24
Well, I guess it depends on how you define high rise buildings, but 3, 4 or 5 stories to me is not a high rise.
5:53:30
We're not proposing that anywhere and on the subject of coming up with the idea of backyard cottages as much as I'm sure we would like to take credit for the idea of accessory dwelling units in New York City.
5:53:42
This is something that has been well trotted and well used throughout the country with success for homeowners that want to use it.
5:53:50
It's not a mandate.
5:53:51
People want to use it.
5:53:52
They can.
5:53:53
They don't want to.
5:53:54
That's okay too.
5:53:55
So I just wanted to note those for you, but I really do appreciate you're being here with us.
5:53:59
I understand your concerns, but I just wanted to to respond just for a moment because I do think that there are elements of this proposal, which I think would be a little more sympathetic to you and to the neighborhood that you're representing here.
5:54:14
So I just wanted to make that point.
5:54:15
So thank you though.
5:54:16
Okay.

Subscribe to the citymeetings.nyc newsletter

Highlights of meeting moments and curious claims every 1-2 weeks.

Read previous issues

Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.