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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Charles Moerdler, Chair of Land Use Committee for Bronx Community Board 8, against reducing community input in ULURP
2:10:34
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3 min
Charles Moerdler, Chair of the Land Use Committee for Bronx Community Board 8, speaks on behalf of the board, which unanimously opposes any reduction in the roles of community boards, the City Council, or borough presidents in the ULURP process.
He cites his extensive experience on all sides of development issues, including roles at the NYC Housing Development Corporation and as former Commissioner of Buildings.
Moerdler argues that such changes would be a "foolhardy mistake" and further decline the city.
- He contends that current housing affordability standards (AMI) are "rigged" and do not reflect the reality of neighborhoods, and that community boards possess crucial local knowledge about what is truly affordable and suitable for their areas.
Charles Moerdler
2:10:34
Good evening, commissioners and mister chairman.
2:10:37
My name is Charles Murdler.
2:10:39
I speak on behalf of community board number eight in Bronx County, of which I am chair of the land use committee and a former board chairman of boards eight and fourteen previously.
2:10:53
Let me make it clear that the board unanimously opposes any diminution of the role of the community boards, the city council, or the borough presidents in the EULER process, and I will give you experience as to why that would be a foolhardy mistake.
2:11:11
Let me note that my own experience is on all three sides of that issue.
2:11:18
Governmentally, as a developer oriented council, and community oversight.
2:11:26
That experience accumulated over 50 includes service today and since Mario Cuomo recommended my appointment decades ago as a member, the gubernatorial member of the New York City Housing Development Corporation.
2:11:48
I served as commissioner of buildings of the City Of New York, and in that role, helped formulate the building code, the housing maintenance code, and the zoning ordinance.
2:12:00
And in addition to that, until recently, I served as a member of the MTA, in all of those instances by governors of different parties.
2:12:10
Let me make it very clear that as counsel to various of those developers who get involved in this, there is very clear evidence that should you take this step, you will further decline the city of New York, and I say further decline.
2:12:31
To illustrate, while housing affordability has increasingly become a convenient though hollow political slogan.
2:12:41
Centralization has ignored the reality of what is affordable to some.
2:12:48
For example, Mid Manhattan or even select segments of my own Riverdale and Spyndendival neighborhoods, it is not reason it is not realistically affordable to most in the South Bronx and elsewhere.
2:13:05
Indeed, not even in our own areas and communities.
2:13:10
Communities and board members know the reality of their neighborhood.
2:13:16
They know that the AMI, which is the standard that is used for determining qualification, is rigged.
2:13:26
It's based on the income of people in places like New Rochelle and Scarsdale and Great Neck.
2:13:34
They know as well that when you do the housing programs that are now are done, they do not fit the needs of affordability.
2:13:45
It is not a matter of quantity.
2:13:48
It is a matter of quality.
2:13:50
It is a matter of having housing fit for people and fit for living and fit for their pocketbooks.
2:13:57
That balance has not been struck in decades in this city and state.