Jackson Heights resident, attorney, and member of the NYC Planning Commission Larisa Ortiz voted no on the zone change. She made the following comments on the proposal, which would allow the developer to build 13 stories rather than the maximum of nine now permitted. Her main concerns were ambulance access to the hospital and the city's archaic 1961 zoning revision calls for far more parking than would be needed in an area only one block from the subway. This excess of parking runs counter to the city's goals to cut the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
First I would like to say that I support density - and certainly affordable housing - at transit rich locations. Our city's robust economic growth depends on supporting a growing population and in ensuring that people of all incomes have healthy, safe places to live.
I have two issues with this proposal. The first is not unique to this site. The original 1961 zoning undercuts the city’s sustainability goals with high parking requirements – and then allows even more parking beyond the requirement – all at transit rich locations. As a result, under this rezoning, we will have 120 units and 128 parking spaces (above the required 48) only ½ block from a subway station. I know this zoning text predates all of us here, but it behooves us to revisit it in light our collective OneNYC goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
My bigger concern is the impact this project will have on emergency vehicles to Elmhurst Hospital, a Trauma 1 Medical Center and one of the busiest in the nation, whose emergency entrance is located along Baxter 1 block south of the site. I understand that an as of right scenario would also result in a loading dock at the intersection of Baxter/83nd, however, under the rezoning, we are doubling the size of this development. The commercial alone will go from about 20k sf to over 76k sf, a nearly fourfold increase which will result in more frequent loading/unloading and more 18-wheelers that will need pull forward, block 83nd Street - and emergency vehicles - and then pull back into the dock. And the cars entering and exiting the lot at this same intersection, serviced only by two elevators I might add, will further exacerbate congestion.
Add to that the fact that the traffic analysis did not take into account the buses that ring this awkward triangular site. When asked about these routes, the development team wasn’t aware of the routes or their frequency. Nor did the analysis take into account the fact that the street pattern, where two street grids clash, mean that 83nd Street provides the ONLY direct north/south connection for nearly 1/2 mile between 77th and 85th Streets. The traffic study states only that sufficient alternative access is available to the east, south and west. Well, there are over 8,000 people who live in the ten block area directly north of the hospital. For them, those reassurances are no consolation.
While the hospital inexplicably chose not to weigh in on this matter, the Uniformed EMT Union did. I wish they had spoken at the hearing. They said this at a recent press event and I QUOTE “There are times this turns into a bottleneck and people can’t get through. We’ve sometimes waited 5-6 minutes to get into the ER. We’ve pulled patients out of the ambulance and walked them in from off the street." END QUOTE
If this project is to advance in its current form, I urge City Council to incorporate restrictions on loading/unloading, reduce the size of the parking facility in line with the city sustainability goals, and require a set aside for car-share vehicles that some studies have indicated replace as many as 15 personal vehicles for every one car-share vehicle.
With that I vote no.
