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Q&A
The proposed role for community boards in comprehensive planning
1:16:29
·
81 sec
Commissioner Dr. Lisette Nieves asks Borough President Antonio Reynoso about the role of community boards (CBs) within his proposed comprehensive planning framework. Reynoso suggests CBs could be tasked with developing local plans to meet city-set housing targets within a specific timeframe, empowering them to decide where development happens locally, with the city stepping in only if the CB fails to produce a compliant plan.
- The city would set overall goals/targets for a community district (e.g., 10,000 units over 10 years).
- The CB would have a period (e.g., 2 years) to create a local plan identifying where that growth should occur.
- If the CB successfully creates a plan meeting the targets, it's respected.
- If the CB fails, the city implements a plan for the area.
- This model aims to give communities local control within a citywide framework.
Dr. Lisette Nieves
1:16:29
How you doing?
Antonio Reynoso
1:16:30
Doing good.
1:16:30
It's impressive.
Dr. Lisette Nieves
1:16:32
Good to see you.
1:16:33
My question is about the role of community boards.
1:16:36
Yes.
1:16:36
Right?
1:16:37
I mean, there's this piece around member deference.
1:16:39
Right?
1:16:39
But the truth is you're thinking about these 59.
1:16:41
What actually reinforces member deference?
1:16:44
Yeah.
1:16:45
How would you see that kind of relationship shifting or changing in a proposed, as you say, comprehensive plan?
Antonio Reynoso
1:16:51
Yeah.
1:16:52
I think the role of the community the the city gives them a goal, and they are obligated to fulfill that goal.
1:16:57
If they don't fulfill that goal, then the city takes over.
1:17:00
So my example is what we've noticed in our comprehensive plan or the framework that we're building, we're not there yet, is that in this area over the next ten years, we think it can take on 10,000 units of housing.
1:17:11
We are going to give you two years to tell us where you wanna see that happen.
1:17:15
If you can't get there, then we're gonna do it for you.
1:17:17
So we give a community and, like, an ultimatum for all intents and purposes.
1:17:21
It's like, we want you to decide.
1:17:23
We're not gonna tell you how to do it.
1:17:24
We're not gonna tell you where to do it, but you have to do it.
1:17:27
So you find the big streets that you're comfortable with.
1:17:29
You find the the streets next to maybe subway stations that you think it's appropriate and but you're gonna find it.
1:17:34
And if the community board can't come to a conclusion and can't come to a plan where they get they show us where the 10,000 units are gonna happen, then then we have to intent and do it for them.
1:17:44
But we give them an opportunity to go there to go first.
1:17:47
It's an example of a role for a community board that I think has value.