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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Susan Stetzer from Manhattan Community Board 3 on the land use process
3:11:03
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3 min
Susan Stetzer, District Manager for Manhattan Community Board 3, testifies on behalf of the board against limiting their voice in the land use process.
She highlights that her board's number one priority is affordable housing and that they have often successfully negotiated for more deeply affordable units.
She argues that while the ULURP timeline can be improved, the biggest delays happen before projects even reach the community board, and that concurrent review with the borough president would further limit the community's voice.
- Stetzer emphasizes that CB3's main priority is affordable housing, and they use the ULURP process to negotiate for more of it.
- She argues that the longest delays in the land use process occur before ULURP begins, and streamlining should focus there.
- She opposes concurrent review by community boards and borough presidents, as it would prevent the board from influencing the BP's decision.
- She believes member deference, while not in the charter, gives added weight to the community's advisory role.
Susan Stetzer
3:11:03
Okay.
3:11:04
My name is Susan Stetzer.
3:11:08
I'm district manager for Manhattan Community Board three, and I'm representing the board.
3:11:14
Our board voted on a lengthy resolution, which I'm will submit along with the written copy of the summary.
3:11:20
CB three takes its EULIP responsibilities very seriously in hearing from the community at a public hearing and in our deliberations on the overall benefit to the community.
3:11:31
Our number one priority for years has been affordable housing, not just housing in general.
3:11:37
Therefore, are times when the city or developer might wanna, EULIP rush through, but CB three has successfully negotiated with the city or developer often with support from the council member for more deeply affordable units or increase in the number of units.
3:11:55
It is not only c b three.
3:11:56
I've heard of other community boards being labeled as NIBBI for not rubber stamping approval when they are trying to get the developer or city to invest in more affordable housing.
3:12:07
Let's not throw out the hard work of community boards for a few.
3:12:12
We have voted very clearly to not limit the community board voice in our already limited input for planning for our community.
3:12:20
We agree the timeline can be improved for ULURP's, but the great length of time is required before it comes to the community board.
3:12:28
There should be an effort from the city to consider how the requirements pre ULURP, which can take over a year, can be streamlined.
3:12:35
Our district needs statements say unnecessary administrative and bureaucratic roadblocks in the approval process are some of the largest financial costs in building new affordable housing.
3:12:47
This also applies to the timeline and is reported to us by one of our affordable housing developers.
3:12:53
We also do not approve of the concurrent review by community boards and borough presidents.
3:13:00
The point of the community board is to hear from the community through the board regarding the EULRP before the borough president makes a decision.
3:13:08
This would further limit CB community voice.
3:13:13
Member deference is not part of the charter.
3:13:15
It's a tradition that is not set in stone.
3:13:18
We believe that it gives added weight to our very limited voice.
3:13:23
Council members know their communities.
3:13:25
We have access to the council members for EULIP, and we had filed our advisory role has added weight because of, member deference, which gives them power in negotiating.
3:13:36
An example is the permanently affordable housing we have at Essex Crossing instead of a limited number of years, which was a deal breaker for our council member Margaret Chin at the time.
3:13:47
Please don't throw out our dedication and work for our community because of some problems that do not outweigh the benefit to our communities.
3:13:55
We support efforts to streamline contractor payment process and we support efforts to increase voter participation, but we do not take position on them at this time.
3:14:05
Thank you.