Good afternoon, my name is Christine Garner, Urban Design Associate at Regional Plan Association. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan.
RPA has long supported and advocated for increased housing in central, transit-rich areas, such as Long Island City. This neighborhood is a vibrant part of New York City, known for its excellent transportation options, diverse economy, and beautiful waterfront. However, many areas of LIC are currently hindered by outdated zoning regulations that restrict the construction of new multifamily buildings. Moreover, large sections of the waterfront remain closed or inaccessible to the public. At the same time, both the neighborhood and the city are in urgent need of new income-restricted affordable housing, as well as resilient, multipurpose open space infrastructure.
The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan has been a collaborative and comprehensive effort that will help address these challenges. We commend the Department of City Planning and Councilwoman Julie Won for their dedication and commitment to this neighborhood planning process.
The plan and proposed actions under consideration cover approximately 54 blocks in Long Island City. Together, they outline a strategy to revise zoning laws, allowing for over 14,700 new homes, including up to 4,800 permanently affordable homes. The plan also aims to create jobs by expanding spaces for businesses and community services. Additionally, it will enhance the neighborhood with investments and promote the development of a resilient waterfront connecting Gantry Plaza to Queensbridge Park.
As proposed, the plan supports developing residential areas at higher densities along the waterfront and 44th Drive corridors where such uses are currently not allowed. With the appropriate design and resiliency standards, the plan will promote the redevelopment of underutilized properties and create connected open spaces along the East River and Anable Basin. To facilitate this, the existing Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) will be amended to guide the development of up to 6 acres of high-quality open space that links the waterfront with the community. The updated Access Plan will ensure a variety of active and passive uses while implementing stricter elevation requirements to mitigate flood risk. Additionally, new street mapping will create a public waterfront open space along the East River.
To ensure the completion of the entire segment of the envisioned waterfront open space, the City Planning Commission recently modified the proposed actions to extend WAP provisions further north from Anable Basin. As previously suggested by RPA, the proposed WAP now includes the Con Edison Training Facility and the New York Power Authority sites (parcels 2 and 3).
The plan and proposed actions are urgently needed. New York City is facing a significant housing crisis, as demand for housing units, particularly affordable ones, is at an all-time high. The city faces a historically low rental vacancy rate of just 1.4%. As a result of the housing shortage, market-rate rents in New York City have increased by 36% since 2015. Today, 52% of renters are cost-burdened, spending up to a third of their income on housing. Nearly a third are severely cost-burdened, spending half or more of their income. In addition, by the year 2040, the city could lose up to 19,000 homes due to coastal flooding, a situation that will only exacerbate housing scarcity.
As described in our recent Averting Crisis report, LIC faces the dual challenge of managing significant climate risks while accommodating substantial housing growth. To effectively tackle this complexity, the proposed plan prioritizes policies that integrate climate-resilient multipurpose open space with mixed-use and affordable housing development. The forward-looking land use and zoning policies being considered today can shape a more vibrant, resilient, and inclusive Long Island City. As such, we recommend that the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises adopt this measure.
As always, RPA is available to discuss concerns or offer insights to help realize our shared priorities. Thank you.
