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TESTIMONY

Michael Kaess on City of Yes zoning reforms and housing affordability in Morris Park, Bronx

2:04:08

·

141 sec

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Michael Kaess, a resident of Morris Park in the Bronx, expresses support for the City of Yes zoning reform proposal. He argues that it will address past mistakes in zoning that have limited housing options and flexibility in neighborhoods like his.

  • Kaess highlights the need for more affordable housing options, citing a friend who had to move out of Morris Park due to lack of available housing.
  • He supports various provisions of City of Yes, including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), ending residential parking mandates, transit-oriented development, and town center zoning.
  • Kaess urges the City Planning Commission to resist attempts to water down the proposal and instead make it stronger, despite opposition and fear-mongering from some community members.
  • Supports the City of Yes proposal as a step to address past zoning mistakes
  • Current zoning code is too strict, limiting housing options
  • City of Yes will allow existing zoning designations to work more effectively
  • Supports provisions for ADUs, ending residential parking mandates, transit-oriented development, and town center zoning
  • City of Yes will empower homeowners to do more with their property
  • Argues that the proposal is modest given the scale of the housing crisis
  • Urges the City Planning Commission to resist watering down the proposal and instead make it stronger
  • Criticizes fear-mongering and lack of solutions from opponents

[EXPERIMENTAL]

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

  • Town Center Zoning
  • 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.

Town Center Zoning

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting town center zoning as part of the City of Yes proposal.

Parking Mandates

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting ending the residential parking mandate, which is part of the removing parking mandates element of the City of Yes proposal.

ADU

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) as part of the City of Yes proposal.

Transit-Oriented Development

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker mentions supporting 'trended oriented development', which is likely a misspeak or transcription error for 'transit-oriented development', a key element of the City of Yes proposal.

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?
Michael Kaess
2:04:08
Hi.
2:04:09
My name is Michael Cass, and I'm a resident of Morris Park.
2:04:12
In May, I had the honor of testifying here at the City Planning Commission in favor of the Bronx Metro North Station area plan, which would greatly enhance Morris Park, and I want to thank every commissioner who voted in favor of the plan 2 weeks ago.
2:04:24
And while the Bronx Metro North Station area plan will help Morris Park, the work isn't done yet as that proposal does little to roll back the downzoning which have hampered our community and the rest of the East Bronx for 20 years.
2:04:36
3 weeks ago, I learned that a good friend of mine who grew up in Moores Park had little choice but to move out of the neighborhood because it was so difficult to find their own place.
Joseph Douek
2:04:44
There were 2 few options.
Michael Kaess
2:04:46
This has to change to that in the next 20 years, it's time for my kids to find their own place that they can afford to stay in the neighborhood they grew up in.
2:04:55
I believe City of Yes, as proposed, will be a major step forward in addressing past mistakes, which have gone too far to limit new housing options throughout the city.
2:05:04
Now to be clear, city of yes will not undo the zoning designations currently in place, but it will at least allow existing zoning designations to work more effectively and provide much needed flexibility, so we can build a little more housing in every neighborhood.
2:05:19
Because right now, the zoning code is far too strict, where even many longstanding 1 or 2 single family homes are considered too big under the current code, Almost one third of the buildings in my community are considered too big by floor area.
2:05:33
Opponents make whole city of yes, one size fits all but our current zoning is two sizes too small.
2:05:40
I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning.
2:05:48
City of Yes will empower homeowners to be able to do more with their own property.
2:05:53
The reality is that while CDBS is a major step given the scale of our housing crisis, it is actually quite modest.
2:06:00
Unfortunately, a lot of fear has been spread.
2:06:03
I've seen unscrupulous folks come to civic associations in the East Bronx to scare my neighbors, who have no solutions of their own except to push neighborhoods like mine to secede from New York City, which is insane just to avoid new housing.
2:06:17
But it's because city of yes is so modest, is why it's important that the city planning commission resist any attempt to water down the proposal Instead, the City Planning Commission should make it stronger.
2:06:28
Thank you.

Follow-up discussion/remarks

QUESTION

Vice Chair inquires about Michael Cass's specific location in the Northeast Bronx

2:06:29

·

12 sec

Chair Dan Garodnick facilitates a brief exchange between Vice Chair Joseph Rosenberg and Michael Cass, a member of the public who provided testimony. Rosenberg asks Cass to specify his location within the Northeast Bronx.

  • Cass confirms he is from Morris Park
  • The exchange is concise, with Rosenberg thanking Cass for the clarification
  • No further questions or comments are made following this brief interaction
  • Supports the City of Yes proposal as a step to address past zoning mistakes
  • Current zoning code is too strict, limiting housing options
  • City of Yes will allow existing zoning designations to work more effectively
  • Supports provisions for ADUs, ending residential parking mandates, transit-oriented development, and town center zoning
  • City of Yes will empower homeowners to do more with their property
  • Argues that the proposal is modest given the scale of the housing crisis
  • Urges the City Planning Commission to resist watering down the proposal and instead make it stronger
  • Criticizes fear-mongering and lack of solutions from opponents

[EXPERIMENTAL]

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

  • Town Center Zoning
  • 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.

Town Center Zoning

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting town center zoning as part of the City of Yes proposal.

Parking Mandates

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting ending the residential parking mandate, which is part of the removing parking mandates element of the City of Yes proposal.

ADU

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker explicitly mentions supporting ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) as part of the City of Yes proposal.

Transit-Oriented Development

"I support all the provisions, including ADUs, ending the residential parking mandate trended oriented development and town center zoning."

The speaker mentions supporting 'trended oriented development', which is likely a misspeak or transcription error for 'transit-oriented development', a key element of the City of Yes proposal.

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
2:06:29
Thank you very much.
2:06:30
Before you go, Mr.
2:06:31
Cass, I have a question for you from Vice Chair
Joseph Rosenberg
2:06:33
Oh, no.
2:06:33
You mentioned your community Northeast Bronx.
Michael Kaess
2:06:36
Where precisely are you from, sir?
2:06:39
I'm in Morris Park.
Joseph Rosenberg
2:06:40
Thank you.

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