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TESTIMONY
Testimony by David Gordon, Housing Advocate supporting expert recommendations for ULURP reform
2:40:24
·
141 sec
Housing advocate David Gordon expresses support for specific reforms proposed by experts, namely fast-tracking ULURP for certain projects and improving interagency coordination to reduce delays. He urges the commission to rely on the expertise presented and propose bold reforms for voters to consider, hoping for outcomes that lower rents and reduce time spent advocating in meetings.
- Gordon supports fast-tracking ULURP as proposed by Vicki Been and Annemarie Gray.
- He also supports Been's emphasis on improving inter-agency coordination.
- He trusts the invited experts and encourages the commission to adopt their recommendations.
- He anticipates voting yes on reforms he believes will increase housing supply and lower rents.
David Gordon
2:40:24
Thank you.
2:40:24
Thank you for holding this hearing.
2:40:26
I'm here today to testify as an advocate for more housing, more homes in New York.
2:40:31
I'm a Lower East Side renter, and I frequently find myself at c b three meetings and other public meetings much like tonight's.
2:40:37
Frankly, tonight's meeting feels much more productive than the average c b land use meeting.
2:40:42
I wanna emphasize my support for two specific planks proposed tonight by our esteemed experts.
2:40:47
First, a fast track for ULURP as, proposed by Vicky Beam as well as Anne Marie Gray of Open New York, and secondly, strengthening the interagency organization.
2:40:58
I think as Vicky Bean testified, and this was one of the largest contributors of added time, and I don't think it's the type of time that people would object to taking out of the process.
2:41:08
It's the type of time that if we can get our agencies more coordinated, it can see be a seamless win win for everybody.
2:41:16
But I won't go on too much longer because I'm proud to be testifying in favor of these reforms as I wrote my senior thesis on this exact topic, much of it based on the research and work of experts who testified today, including Vicky Bean and Vishan Chakraborty.
2:41:31
So I'm here to ask this commission to lean on their expertise and lean on the expertise heard here tonight.
2:41:37
You invited these experts for a reason, and they have done the work and know what is needed to be done in order to reform the commission, in order to reform Mueller.
2:41:48
I also would just, like, remind everybody that the commission's work product at the end of the day will be a referendum that everyday voters will get to vote on.
2:41:58
Those voters include myself and the other everyday public New Yorkers who have come here to testify.
2:42:03
And so in that vein, I really hope that you use the expertise to its greatest advantage and put forward what they think is best for New Yorkers, and we'll have the opportunity to accept or reject that.
2:42:15
So I'll end my testimony by saying that I look forward to voting in favor of some of the reforms that I heard here tonight, and I hope the commission includes them in their final proposal.
2:42:25
That and I look forward to voting for these because I think that they will bring about lower rents, and it will mean less time for me spending less time in lengthy meetings begging for more housing and cheaper rents, all the time.
2:42:37
I think that we can save a lot of all of our times with this process.
2:42:41
So thank you again, and I'll cut it off there.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:42:43
Thank you so much.