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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Luana Green, Resident of Penn South Community, on Western Rail Yards Proposal
1:57:34
·
118 sec
Luana Green, a long-time Chelsea resident and active member of Penn South Community, strongly opposes the Western Rail Yards proposal and Related Companies' plans. She argues that the High Line is already a sufficient park for the neighborhood and expresses concerns about Related's trustworthiness and the impact on the community.
- Green questions the definition of "affordable housing" in the context of Chelsea's high average and median incomes.
- She criticizes Related for frequently changing their plans, including those for the Chelsea Elliott houses.
- Green argues that there are already ample housing developments and job opportunities throughout the city, questioning the need for this project.
Luana Green
1:57:34
Hello.
1:57:35
My name is Luanna Green and I am an active resident at Penn South Community which is the largest affordable co op apartment complex on the West Side.
1:57:44
The High Line is our neighborhood's park So I have a speech that's written.
1:57:49
I have lived in Chelsea for fifty five years.
1:57:52
I have been to the High Line when it was just a rail yard with rail trains running along the track.
1:57:58
So now the High Line is a beautiful park.
1:58:01
We don't need a new Bryant Park, we have a park it's called the High Line and we like to keep it like that.
1:58:07
So I live in Chelsea and I'm a little nervous but I live in Chelsea and Chelsea is a beautiful community and right now Chelsea is under attack and under attack with Related and all its promises that they can't keep.
1:58:22
Every time we turn around Related has changed their plans.
1:58:25
So now they're changing their plans with this project and they're changing their plans with the Chelsea Elliott houses to demolish them.
1:58:32
Related just wants to build a whole town for itself and we're against it.
1:58:37
We're against this proposal and we're against Related.
1:58:40
Period.
1:58:41
The other thing is you talk about affordable housing.
1:58:45
In Chelsea, the average income is over $200,000.
1:58:50
The median income is over a hundred and $65,000.
1:58:55
So when you talk about affordable housing, who are you talking about?
1:58:59
Who are you building for?
1:59:00
We talk about jobs and everything.
1:59:02
There's housing going up all over the city.
1:59:04
There's so many jobs all over the city.
1:59:07
So I'm just confused as to why we keep going over these plans over and over again.
1:59:13
We see that related cannot be trusted, they cannot keep their word, they go back and they change their plans, and we are against them changing the West Side high line and changing the West Side rails, and we are against this proposal and we ask you to also vote no.
1:59:31
Thank you.