Sharlene Jackson Mendez, a homeowner and community leader from Van Nest in the Bronx, expresses concerns about the City of Yes Housing Opportunity program. She argues that the proposed development in her low-density neighborhood is excessive and will not address the affordable housing crisis effectively.

• Mendez highlights that her community is slated to receive 7,500 new housing units, which she considers too much development for the area.
• She challenges the city's urgency in providing affordable housing, citing 7,000 vacant nitrate apartments.
• Mendez expresses concern about the removal of local community control in development decisions and rejects implications that community opposition is rooted in racism or classism.

• The City of Yes plan will bring 7500 new housing units to her community, which is too much development
• The plan does not provide for additional infrastructure or services to support the new residents
• The proposed housing will not be affordable for current community members
• The plan removes local control from communities
• The speaker resents implications that community concerns are rooted in racism or classism
• There is no shortage of housing above $2,300/month rent
• ADU units can have significant negative consequences on neighbors
• The community is not against affordable housing, but concerned about how it is implemented

[EXPERIMENTAL]

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

• 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.

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.

Commissioner Joseph Douek engages with Charlene Jackson Mendez to understand her specific concerns about the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. Mendez clarifies her position on affordable housing and expresses worries about infrastructure and community oversight.

• Mendez supports the idea of building affordable housing in all areas but is concerned about implementation and lack of infrastructure planning
• She lives in a 2-family home and is hesitant to rent due to concerns about tenant laws
• Mendez's primary concern is the size, scope, and lack of community oversight in the proposed zoning changes

• The City of Yes plan will bring 7500 new housing units to her community, which is too much development
• The plan does not provide for additional infrastructure or services to support the new residents
• The proposed housing will not be affordable for current community members
• The plan removes local control from communities
• The speaker resents implications that community concerns are rooted in racism or classism
• There is no shortage of housing above $2,300/month rent
• ADU units can have significant negative consequences on neighbors
• The community is not against affordable housing, but concerned about how it is implemented

[EXPERIMENTAL]

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

• 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.

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.

Chair Dan Garodnick addresses concerns raised about the Baker site, explaining that it is not affected by the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He clarifies that the site is part of the separate Bronx Metro North Station area plan, which has its own review process and community input mechanisms.

• The Baker site development is not enabled by the current proposal
• The Bronx Metro North Station area plan has a distinct environmental review and community process
• Garodnick mentions the upcoming new train station at Morris Park and Parkchester Van Ness, set to open in 2027

• The City of Yes plan will bring 7500 new housing units to her community, which is too much development
• The plan does not provide for additional infrastructure or services to support the new residents
• The proposed housing will not be affordable for current community members
• The plan removes local control from communities
• The speaker resents implications that community concerns are rooted in racism or classism
• There is no shortage of housing above $2,300/month rent
• ADU units can have significant negative consequences on neighbors
• The community is not against affordable housing, but concerned about how it is implemented

[EXPERIMENTAL]

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

• 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.

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.