People voiced a range of opinions about the GowanusRezoning hearing on Thursday.
“I wanna support this but there is something rotten
in Denmark,” said one observer, noting the commitment to NYCHA funding was
inadequate.
Andrew called for 75% affordable housing, not 25%.
Others were concerned with displacement and
homogenization.
“We need the funky mix,” said Martin, whose lived and
owned a business here for more than four decades.
Of the 150 people to testify in person, some two thirds
opposed the rezoning as a “hyper gentrification” giveaway.
martinbisibc stood outside the
hearing with a band he brought.
“We tell @bkcb6 and @brad.lander that not all artists want a flood of trickle-down
rich people to cash in…”
The audience
for the hearing were two community boards.
But it was not clear anyone was listening.
“Which council
people are see them,” wondered Nora.
“I didn’t hear
about this until right now,” said my friend Jessica, standing outside. “It wasn’t well advertised.”
All week, I tried
to sign up to testify. No one picked up
the phone the first three times I called.
And when I did get through, the person answering did not know where the
hearing was or when.
After waiting
for three hours, I was allowed to speak for two minutes sharp at 6:30 PM.
Testimony by Benjamin Heim Shepard, PhD.
I am writing to express my disapproval of this rezoning.
My testimony is based on my experience as someone who
has lived, worked and brought up kids in the impacted areas for well over two
decades. I have no ties to the real estate industry.
What I do have are environmental, aesthetic, and justice-based
concerns over the rezoning.
As a social
worker, I am concerned that the affordable housing is not being done right. It
needs to be spread throughout the neighborhood, as opposed to placing thousands
of people on toxic land at Public Place, a former manufactured gas plant site
with coal tar plumes over 150 feet below the surface that will not be fully
removed.
- The combined
sewer overflow tanks will not be built before the rezoning development starts.
This risks undoing the superfund cleanup remedy.
- The draft
environmental impact statement is illegal. The rezoning must not go forward
until it is redone with EPA and FEMA helping prepare the EIS as involved
agencies as required by law.
- The process
for this hearing is flawed.
- The joint
community board hearing tonight is illegal. Under city law, each community
board must hold its own ULURP public hearing.
- The judge has
not yet issued a final ruling on our Voice of Gowanus lawsuit; this hearing
format is not legal under the text of city law, not uniform or equal to what
other neighborhoods were afforded, and the city is rushing this during a
pandemic to exclude the community.
- The Gowanus
rezoning would place thousands of people in FEMA Flood Zone A and permit land
elevation changes that put residents of Gowanus Houses at increased flood risk.
- This is not a
community-based plan. All the window-dressing by politicians and developers and
the non-profits cannot hide the fact that this plan is being imposed on us. It
is primarily about developer profits, not affordable housing, racial justice,
or cleanup.
- Communities,
not developers should direct their own development. Yet, sadly this is just another developer
giveaway.
- This is a Disney
model of planning and cultural displacement.
They want to stamp out what is special here.
- Please vote no
to this rezoning.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Heim
Shepard
Before
the hearing, Voice of the Gowanus sent out a blast about the hearing:
The only
community board public hearing on Mayor de Blasio's massive and
dangerous Gowanus Rezoning Proposal—twice the size of Atlantic Yards—is
happening at 5:30pm this Thursday, June 3rd at J.J. Byrne Playground in Park
Slope.
In
order to participate, you must register. But to register in advance, the City
is forcing residents to call a special phone line today or tomorrow between
10am - 5pm.
As
you can see, the City is trying its best to make it as difficult as possible to
participate in this hearing. THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO ATTEND BECAUSE THEY KNOW
THE COMMUNITY OPPOSES THEIR PLAN.
That's
why it is URGENT that you call right now and register TODAY!
Call 718-780-8280
(before 5pm) to register for Thursday's hearing. They
will ask you a series of questions, including your position on the rezoning—you
are not required to answer that question and/or can reserve the right to change
your mind.
PLEASE
REGISTER TODAY BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR VOICE IN ORDER TO FIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
After the hearing, bowerybird posted on Instagram:
“The civic hot mess continued last night as the “joint” community board hearing for the Gowanus rezoning played out. ⚡️☔️ 🎸🗣 An in-person outdoor component only happened because of the lawsuit rightly brought by @voiceofgowanus - and @nycplanning and @bkcb6 violated the judge’s order in multiple ways, refusing to let people register without saying how they stood on the rezone, continuing the hearing after thunder, lightning and pouring rain started (which meant some people never got to speak despite being guaranteed that right under city law), and allowing multiple people - including politicians - to go unmasked in the crowd. Soon…”
Meanwhile on twitter:
Kirsten Theodos tweeted out this photo, with the message #NoGowanusRezoning
It's
packed. Great testimony in opposition to Rezoning with facts and figures.
Thanks for calling out @bradlanderfor his hypocrisy. @NydiaVelazquez cos kudos for speaking out
AGAINST turning Gowanus into a toilet.
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