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Q&A

Balancing speed, quality, and infrastructure review in housing approvals

2:34:18

·

88 sec

Commissioner Shams DaBaron asks architect John Woelfling if his proposed faster process for affordable housing risks sacrificing quality or necessary reviews like infrastructure impact. Woelfling suggests comprehensive planning should address infrastructure needs, and focusing development near transit and matching neighborhood context (like mid-rise infill) can manage density appropriately.

Woelfling connects infrastructure planning to the need for a comprehensive plan.
He supports directing density to areas with existing transit and capacity.
He believes contextual development (e.g., mid-rise infill) is a smart way to add housing.

Shams DaBaron

2:34:18

I have a question.

2:34:19

So, first, if if you do it the way you say, right, is there, are are you sacrificing quality for speed?

2:34:35

I I agree with you, by the way, in terms of the process and the length of time and stuff like that.

2:34:42

I totally agree.

2:34:43

But, I'm just wondering that is there a way that we can do this to speed it up but without sacrificing, even addressing things like infrastructure throughout the local community, community engagement, all those different things.

2:35:00

Is there is there a way to do that, without sacrificing those things?

John Woelfling

2:35:05

I think this does go back to the comprehensive plan that's been mentioned by many others.

2:35:09

You you just you you need to look at what that those implications are, whether it's, you know, school, sewage, transit.

2:35:20

The the thing that was so, I think, genius about the, the study that, Vishan spoke about was, limiting it to areas that could really handle some of these things.

2:35:32

Don't build in flood prone areas.

2:35:34

Build where where transit is.

2:35:37

That infill with that mid rise housing, the fact that we can get so much out of that makes so much sense.

Shams DaBaron

2:35:44

Thank you for your question.

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Testimony by John Woelfling, Architect from Dattner Architects on ULURP pre-certification delays and fast-tracking affordable housing

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The role of environmental review in a streamlined affordable housing approval process