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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Melanie La Rocca, Former Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, on streamlining development and permitting
1:06:30
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4 min
Melanie La Rocca, former Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, supports the Charter Revision Commission's efforts to streamline the development process in New York City.
She highlights the costly and lengthy nature of the current process, including ULURP and environmental reviews, which deters many from housing creation.
La Rocca advocates for the proposed "Fast Track" for affordable housing and also points to the need to address pipeline constraints beyond land use, such as agency approvals that can add years to timelines.
- She identifies inefficiencies in street map changes due to disparate borough president teams and urges attention to the multi-agency permitting process, which she describes as antiquated and siloed, causing significant delays.
Melanie La Rocca
1:06:30
Hey.
1:06:30
Good evening.
1:06:31
My name is Melanie Larocca.
1:06:32
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to address you this evening, and I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person tonight.
1:06:38
I want to start by acknowledging the work done by the Turner Revision Commission staff and specifically for their production of a thoughtful and well researched preliminary report.
1:06:47
As has been undoubtedly said many times before, the process to develop in New York City, whether an as a bright project or an action requiring ULURP, is filled with costly process and paperwork, where the insertion and addition of new steps, agency workflows, and legislative mandates have gone unchecked and largely unnoticed.
1:07:09
The overall time and cost associated with housing production continues to be a drain on the city's ability to compete with other municipalities and provide our residents with adequate housing as well as housing mobility.
1:07:22
It's reasonable to say that the cost associated with bringing forward a project that requires action is in the range of $1,500,000 Those dollars are largely being spent to satisfy the laborious environmental review process.
1:07:38
While the cost to engage the various consultants for EULRP action is significant, the uncertainty in the process is the ultimate deterrent.
1:07:46
In a system that treats all projects as equal, it's hard to unlock opportunities for growth that aligns with our city's needs.
1:07:53
It also works to block a significant population of individuals from participating in the creation of housing by establishing such a high bar for entry, one where it's far too cost intensive, time intensive, and most critically, risk intensive for people to endeavor upon.
1:08:10
The opportunity cost to the city is tremendous.
1:08:14
Therefore, CRC's efforts to streamline the development process is strongly supported and in great need.
1:08:21
The proposed Fast Track, as outlined in the preliminary report, should continue to be explored as it correctly identifies an area of vulnerability in the city.
1:08:30
When new live actions are as fraught as they are, it's clear that a fast track, specifically for affordable housing, would serve as an important step in aligning city priorities and processes and would narrow the gap between EULIP action sought today and the missing middle of the report notes that lose out because of the barriers to entry.
1:08:50
However, it's critical that well intended goals are not thwarted by new processes that supplant existing broking systems.
1:08:59
For developers who work with the city to create affordable housing, it's helpful to remember that pipeline constraints exist beyond land use and permitting, and only add to the uncertainty of the overall timeline for a project's completion.
1:09:12
The time it can take to get through the pipeline can add another five plus years on the total development timeline, and that's after EULERT.
1:09:22
The CRC's review of public land and leveraging the population to, again, align public needs with process is critically important.
1:09:29
Failure to do so is just adding unnecessary costs and time to a process that should otherwise be straightforward.
1:09:35
Two other points.
1:09:36
The identification of street map changes is an area that is correctly being targeted for inefficiencies in the system.
1:09:43
Having each borough president maintain disparate teams responsible for the same things is inefficient.
1:09:49
While city planning seems best suited to unify this work, I want to ensure that the nuances of the totality of the work are not lost and that the Commission particularly notes the interactions between the Department of City Planning, Department of Finance, and the Department of Buildings in the creation of new addresses, as well as both temporary building identification numbers and permanent building identification numbers.
1:10:12
And lastly, while the report notes the challenges faced with by nonprofits for contracting issues, the commission fails to address the long standing issues in our city's permitting process, and I believe it's an issue worthy of your action.
1:10:31
This work stream would have the widest impact, touching all projects.
1:10:35
As you know, the city's multi agency permanent process is antiquated and suffers from agency by agency bespoke systems and rules.
1:10:44
I do not believe it's an exaggeration to say that permitting in New York City ultimately causes delays similar to those related to ULURP actions.
1:10:51
Every developer faces issues stemming from our siloed review system where agencies have no incentive to work together to solve problems to get a project to yes.
1:11:00
I believe the Commission should consider interventions that would correct this.
1:11:04
Thank you
Richard R. Buery Jr.
1:11:04
very Thank you so much.