Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Discussing the political feasibility of ULURP reform and the housing emergency
0:38:26
·
5 min
Commissioner Kathryn Wylde questions the political feasibility of charter changes that might reduce the power of community boards or the City Council in land use, given that member deference is a political practice, not a legal mandate.
Developer Kirk Goodrich argues the low vacancy rate constitutes an emergency that should trigger expedited processes, bypassing lengthy debates that delay needed housing for years.
Former Council Member Marjorie Velasquez concurs that the current process is too long and complex, advocating for reforms that empower council members to make decisions based on broad community needs rather than succumbing to pressure from vocal minorities early in the process.
- The discussion centers on whether charter changes can effectively curb political practices like member deference.
- Goodrich proposes emergency triggers (like the vacancy rate) that could allow for faster, potentially unilateral, action on housing.
- He criticizes lengthy deliberations (citing 6-15 year examples) as morally unacceptable when people are suffering.
- Velasquez highlights the burden on council members under member deference, often forcing votes without full project understanding.
- Both suggest reforming the process itself to prioritize citywide needs and expedite housing production.
Kathryn Wylde
0:38:26
So thank you for your testimony, Marjorie and Kirk.
0:38:31
And both what struck me is what you're describing, Kirk and and Adolfo both in terms of your trajectory.
0:38:39
Up through the 1980s, that story was possible.
0:38:43
This is a relatively recent phenomenon.
0:38:46
And I think that's something we have to think about, that we have to look at what has happened in the last few years.
0:38:52
And I think Marjorie sort of nailed it, that the politics have changed dramatically.
0:38:58
And we had a a charter that worked up through the 1980s to provide this trajectory and no longer does.
0:39:07
And even though we know it's going to be I guess my question to you is, do you think it is politically feasible to enact something that reduces a charter provision, that reduces the role of community boards, perhaps flips and the city council, more importantly.
0:39:32
Because I don't think member deference is a political, not a legal condition.
0:39:38
I don't know anything we could do to stop member deference.
0:39:42
So I don't think that per se is an option.
0:39:45
I think the option has to be changing the process in a way that there's a voice.
0:39:51
Some have suggested it's the borough president who can come back in with a voice, or that city planning is the last stop.
0:39:58
Is it uncertain?
0:40:00
So I just wonder what your thoughts are on that.
Kirk Goodrich
0:40:04
So what I would say is we're in an emergency situation.
0:40:10
And the ability of the executive and leadership of the city to act unilaterally in an emergency, I think, is really important.
0:40:23
HPD produces these vacancy studies.
0:40:27
But if 1.4% vacancy and a situation where 50% of folks are rent burdened is not an emergency.
0:40:42
I just think there has to be triggers in other parts of the country that flood regularly, people who when far less people are impacted, those communities have the ability to mobilize and house folks.
0:41:01
And we need the ability, if certain factors exist, to declare an emergency and have people not go through what we went through in East New York to do 2,000 units of 100% affordable housing, including the dialogue with the council member, was six years before we could put a shovel in the ground.
0:41:25
That's not acceptable.
0:41:27
That's not a victory.
0:41:28
There was a panel maybe last year or a couple of years ago on the success of the Gowanus rezoning.
0:41:35
And they kind of lost me at fifteen years.
0:41:38
The reality is that Right.
0:41:44
And the reality is, I have a phrase.
0:41:47
And that phrase is, when you love someone or your community or city, you become what they need when they need it.
0:41:55
And we fail in both of those counts.
0:41:59
Like, when they need it.
0:42:00
When your kid is homesick, he needs you right then.
0:42:04
He doesn't need you when you get around to it.
0:42:06
And our the world of philanthropy and government doesn't operate that way.
0:42:11
We let people suffer.
0:42:14
We let them scramble.
0:42:16
We let them be in shelter.
0:42:17
We let a hundred thousand of our kids be in shelter during the course of any year.
0:42:23
And none of that moves us to an emergency.
0:42:27
People will deliberate forever because, fundamentally, they want something far less for other families and kids than they want for their own.
0:42:37
And that is a huge problem.
0:42:39
The only value that's propelled my career, not my skill or anything else, it's I want for everybody else's kids and family what I want for my own.
0:42:50
And unless our elected officials I can tell you that's not true for community board folks on average.
0:42:57
And if I felt that, I would tell you differently.
0:42:59
I just think there has to be an ability when we hit certain milestones and a threshold of crisis that people can move without seeking counsel.
0:43:10
That's all.
Marjorie Velasquez
0:43:15
Thank you for sharing, Kurt.
0:43:17
I mean, that was spot on.
0:43:19
The average time it takes to complete a project, coupled with how long it takes to inform a community, it's way too long.
0:43:26
I think, as a councilmember, you have but so much time to understand the project, that other councilmembers are doing.
0:43:34
So you're asking a councilmember to, through member deference, is understanding someone else's district and putting it within a three month concept and seeing if it's good or not.
0:43:45
And you have to believe and support that council member and support their decision and negotiation.
0:43:50
However, you don't know everything that's gone on beforehand, and you have your own borough, your own district to worry about.
0:43:57
So when it comes to all that information, it's just overwhelming for a council member as well.
0:44:04
So when we're talking about member deference, it's really taking a step back in the process and understanding how can we best support a decision that is made under normal circumstances that really does involve the right playing actors within the community that really represent the needs of the community, not a small minority that just wants to see things as is.