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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Roxanne Delgado on ULURP failures and displacement concerns in a Bronx rezoning
2:33:55
·
3 min
Roxanne Delgado, a Bronx resident, testifies about procedural failures and negative impacts related to a specific rezoning affecting Community Board 11 and Council District 13.
She alleges the community board missed critical ULURP deadlines and criticizes City Planning leadership, while also raising concerns about infrastructure strain and displacement risks masked by flawed equity reports.
Delgado defends the need for local council member accountability in ULURP, challenging the narrative presented by former Council Member Velasquez regarding the reasons for community opposition.
- Delgado alleges Bronx Community Board 11 failed to meet ULURP deadlines for a specific rezoning review.
- Recommends joint, local, after-hours hearings for Community Board and Borough President reviews to ensure timeliness and public input.
- Expresses concerns about infrastructure impacts and displacement risks from increased density in her community.
- Challenges the accuracy of a racial equity report associated with the rezoning.
- Argues for maintaining local council member accountability within the ULURP process.
Roxanne Delgado
2:33:55
Evening Commissioner Roxanne Delgado.
2:33:57
I'm here to discuss what happened with 02/1960 rezoning in The Bronx at City Committee Board District eleven, City Councilman at District 13.
2:34:06
The Committee Board eleven had from 11/02/2022 till 01/03/2023 to review and vote on this matter.
2:34:12
In fact, they did not.
2:34:13
They voted on it on Feb twenty three, and they did not provide state planning their advisory vote until after March.
2:34:27
By then, both the Bronx Board President voted in favor of this rezoning and the state plan already held its public hearing on March 9.
2:34:35
The fact that Community Board eleven was two months late was a disservice to our community, which is why I recommend that there is a joint hearing between the BP's office and the Community Board to ensure that lines are met, to ensure there's more public output because the BP's office held it during Thursday at 10AM.
2:34:53
When most of us work at 160 First Street, which is out of our way, these public joint here should be held at the pro site within a one to two mile radius and during normal non working hours.
2:35:04
That will provide more public input and more awareness and deadlines will be met.
2:35:08
My second issue is, besides the lack of committee board abiding by the EU law process and no accountability and no public output, is the fact that city planning.
2:35:21
I have a lot of issues with city planning because, unfortunately, it is not being run by the master of fields.
2:35:26
Is being run by ex politician who actually was very disrespectful of people who were not in proposal of this project because they assumed were all Yinbees.
2:35:34
I realized that I am a victim of Ida.
2:35:36
I used to live in a private house basement which was flooded.
2:35:40
They understand the higher density built in communities and I live in a community of color, Palm Parkway.
2:35:44
I am a person of color.
2:35:46
It puts a lot of burden on infrastructure that overcrowded schools, more trash, flooding.
2:35:52
So to continue building, building, building, us mentioning infrastructure doesn't mean that we're racist, we're Yimbees.
2:35:59
Regarding my former council member, Marjorie Velasquez, her narrative is not fully true because even though I don't live in Drozhne, those people were very upset because she campaigned and to the day before the vote, she adamantly told them she was against that project.
2:36:13
The following morning, some kind of deal was made where she reversed her vote at the last second and most people don't like to be lied to.
2:36:19
Death threats are unjustifiable.
2:36:21
There's no excuse for any death threats.
2:36:23
But there were threats made to her that she could be voted out.
2:36:26
That's why city council have to be the local representative of EULA process because if they don't abide what they campaign on, if they don't abide to the community interest, they have to be voted out.
2:36:37
The BP's office represents the whole Bronx, and there's different voting blocks in the Bronx.
2:36:42
More people have more influence.
2:36:43
There'll be neighborhood pipits against neighborhood.
2:36:45
And then lastly, the equity the racial equity report was unfair for 2560 because that that district would have the highest displacement rate per city planning map.
2:36:54
It was pure purple, but the racial equity for only covered community board eleven, which include Pelham Gardens, Morris Park, and the village would have million dollar homes, which increased the area of median income and they have less renters as opposed to that site in 2560 where I live barely 0.5 miles radius, which had the highest rate displacement.
2:37:12
So Biden proposing by approving that rezoning, which I'm not a Yimbi, I'm not a NIMBY, is because it's gonna bear not only a burden on our infrastructure, it's gonna displace us because 7% of those people are, not English speakers of renters, and in fact, they have no rental protection.
2:37:27
They don't live in rent stabilized apartment, but the landlord could say this, building is renting $2,000 for one bath or one studio.
2:37:34
I could rent that same amount or maybe $200 less, so you're out the and you have no recourse.