No Land Grab

STRINGER, MONSERRATE DEMAND STAND-ALONE HEARINGS

FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Officials Cite Need for Separate Public Sessions for Lower East Side Rezoning, Hunters Point South and Willets Point

NEW YORK, NY, August 11, 2008 - At a press conference on the steps of City Hall, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and City Councilman Hiram Monserrate today called on the City Planning Commission to hold stand-alone separate public hearings on three major redevelopment proposals, rather than the single session now planned.

In a letter to Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden, Stringer voiced concerns about the City's plans to hold a marathon public hearing on August 13 to consider the Lower East Side Rezoning, along with two Queens proposals -- Hunters Point South and Willets Point.

"Each of these projects deserve a full and frank discussion, and that means giving citizens in each community the time and attention they need to voice their opinions - pro or con," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said. "The size and potential impact on affected communities and the City as a whole warrants an individualized public hearing and review process for each proposal."

The three major development projects scheduled to be discussed at the August 13 hearing include: plans for the first major rezoning of the Lower East Side since 1961, a plan covering more than 100 city blocks; Hunter's Point South, a proposed mixed-use housing development covering 30 acres of waterfront property in Long Island City, Queens; and plans to redevelop the Willets Point area of Queens, moving from its current industrial base into retail, hospitality and residential uses.

"Good government demands that we provide our citizens with every opportunity to be heard,'' Councilman Hiram Monserrate said. "By rushing through a process, people's voices are denied. The City Planning Commission must take its time and hold separate hearings for these major projects. One is simply not enough."

Stringer added that he recognized that the City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) timeline presents challenges, and he expressed sympathy for the scheduling difficulties the Commission faces. He added, however, in his letter to Commission Chair Burden, "By grouping the hearings on these actions together, the Commission risks limiting the amount and quality of public participation for one, or even all three items, by forcing community members to wait for overly long periods of time before being heard. This delay is likely to frustrate community members and may drive away speakers, thereby limiting the breadth of expressed community opinions. Such a consequence is contrary to the spirit of a public hearing."