We are writing today to urge you to oppose the City of Yes proposals that you will be voting on soon. These proposals will have negative impacts in both low-density and high-density areas of our city.
While the City of Yes – Housing Opportunity proposal will frankly have catastrophic consequences on our residential communities, the matter at hand now is the City of Yes –Economic Opportunity proposal which, if passed, will allow unregulated commercial uses throughout all of our neighborhoods. This pressing matter must be rejected to help preserve communities across the city and allow us to consider better solutions that will get our city back on its feet – the right way.
While many of the aspects of these proposals will have dire impacts on our community, some of the worst include:
- Allowing owners of houses and apartments to open business establishments including massage parlors, nail salons and barbershops which will disrupt the quality of life in neighborhoods across the city and negatively affect the residential atmosphere that we have fought to maintain.
- This proposal will allow businesses into commercial areas where they shouldn’t be able to locate, creating dangerous conditions on neighborhood retail commercial strips.
- Expanding the areas where cabaret licenses will be granted which will diminish the quality of life in residences that are in close proximity to these areas.
- Allowing retail/office/storefronts such as corner stores
- Up to 2500 square feet on all properties within 100 feet of every corner on every residential block, transforming the quieter areas of our city into an unrecognizable commercial nightmare.
These changes, along with many others proposed alongside them, will lead to a need for increased enforcement from various city agencies that are already not equipped to take on the volume of issues we have today, let alone in the future. Between staffing shortages and newly announced budget cuts these changes are all but guaranteed to place the burden of enforcement on already strained city workers. In addition, when considering zoning proposals with a citywide impact like these to the zoning code, collateral damage must be taken into consideration. In this instance, the myriad unintended consequences that would occur from adoption of these zoning changes are immense – and unacceptable.
As residents of New York City and as Board members of the Bowne Park Civic Association, we will unquestionably be affected by the negative impact of these proposals.
We urge that you take these points into consideration, and that you further research and weigh how these proposals can affect myself as well as all of your constituents.
Sincerely,
Bowne Park Civic Association
