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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ina Lee Selden, Docent at High Line, on Western Rail Yards Modification Proposal
2:19:48
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127 sec
Ina Lee Selden, a resident of Hell's Kitchen and docent on the High Line, provides testimony against the proposed casino and resort development on the Western Rail Yards site. She shares perspectives from international visitors to the High Line who express disbelief at the project and argues that it represents New York as the "world capital of greed."
- Selden emphasizes that the project takes up roughly half the space originally designed for the common good.
- She relays that visitors from various countries, including Korea, express similar concerns about overdevelopment in their own cities.
- Selden urges the committee to listen to New York voters and consider the existing research on sunlight impacts for landscaping.
Ina Lee Selden
2:19:48
My name is Ina Lee Selden.
2:19:50
I'm a resident of Hell's Kitchen, and I'm a docent on the High Line.
2:19:56
Let me take you on a little tour of the High Line.
2:19:59
Most of the points I was going to make have already been made.
2:20:03
So I'm gonna tear this up, and I'll tell you what it's like on the High Line when you talk to locals who are visiting the High Line, national, international, visitors.
2:20:17
When you mentioned this project for a casino and a resort that takes up roughly half the space that was originally, designed for the common good, they say, what?
2:20:36
Are you crazy?
2:20:38
This is in English.
2:20:39
This is in Italian.
2:20:41
This is in French.
2:20:42
And we have a lot of visitors from Korea And they say, as others do, we have the same problem with development that you do here.
2:20:53
Why don't we give the world a different example?
2:20:57
Why don't we eliminate or at least mitigate the reputation of New York as the world capital of greed?
2:21:08
Because that's what this project says to the residents, the local residents, the residents on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, The Bronx, and other places that this is a completely ridiculous proposal.
2:21:26
And if you need advice on sunlight, as Alan said, the research has already been done.
2:21:34
You don't have to spend money to find out how much sunlight will hit your landscaping.
2:21:45
Show New York that it listens to its constituency and listens and this committee listens to the voters of New York.
2:21:55
Thank you.