Arrow Action

The City Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the Arrow Linen rezoning for Wednesday, Nov 6 from10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (click here to add to calendar) at 120 Broadway in Manhattan in the City Planning Commission Room in the Lower Concourse. We need everyone who can to come and testify against the rezoning!

If you can’t make it in person, you can participate remotely – at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, Nov 6, instructions for how to participate will be posted on the NYC Engage page for the hearing. If there’s any way you can come to the meeting in person, that would be best!

As important as it is to show up to the City Planning Commission’s public hearing about Arrow Linen’s rezoning on Nov 6, it’s vitally important that you submit written testimony to the City Planning Commission!

Instructions:

• On this page, click the “Copy to Clipboard” button above any of the messages in the “Messages” section below that you want to submit, or the “Combined Message” section further down the page. This will copy the text of that message for you. You can also choose to write your own message if you prefer.
• Open the City Planning Comission Public Hearing Comments web page (this will open in a new tab)
• In the “Borough” field, select “Brooklyn“
• In the “Project” field, select “C 240280 ZMK – 441 & 467 Prospect Avenue Rezoning“
• Enter your Name and Zip Code
• Under “I represent”, select “myself“
• Under “I am”, select “opposed“
• In the “Comments” section, either hold down the Ctrl key and press V or right-click and select Paste. This will paste the message you copied on this page into the comments as your testimony.
• Click the “I’m not a robot” box
• Press the Submit button

Messages

Lack of Community Engagement:

This is a greedy move by Arrow Linen to massively profit from the facility they have owned for 40+ years, while operating off a 25-year tax abatement subsidized by city taxpayers. Arrow has spent thousands of dollars on lobbying elected officials, and did not spend any time or resources meeting with the community. Arrow stands to profit hundreds of millions of dollars from this application, and the community has had zero input on this transformational project. I ask the Commission listen to CB7’s findings and uphold DCP’s stated mission “Work with neighborhoods to develop sound ground-up frameworks for growth”.  I ask that you vote to disapprove this application so we can treat housing as a public good rather than a vehicle for massive profit. 

Environmental Impacts:   

Stormwater issues and flooding are frequent occurrences across the neighborhood. There will be thousands of new fixtures flowing into the ancient, combined sewer system. Our sewer systems are beyond capacity and this project will exacerbate unsanitary flooding. Arrow is also kicking the can down the road for environmental contamination impacts from the 113 years of dumping hazardous waste. There is no plan and no experienced entity to address remediation. I ask that you vote to disapprove this application.

Contextual Zoning and Neighborhood Character: 

I welcome more housing at this site; however, Arrow’s proposal will irreversibly alter the character of the neighborhood and undo prior DCP and community-led rezoning efforts. Arrow claims that up to 19-story towers on a midblock amongst 2 to 3-story surroundings buildings would “match the residential context and character of the neighborhood”. This is an objectively negligent and reckless assessment. Furthermore, the community has no clear idea how City of Yes would impact this rezoning and the resulting building size. I ask for a revised, contextual zoning district based on a rational land use framework.

Renter Displacement:  

The block around Arrow Linen has 59 units of rent-stabilized housing, and Prospect Avenue has the most affordable rents in the neighborhood. If Arrow is able to build 13-19 stories of luxury high-rises, this will encourage speculators to price out our neighbors. Arrow Linen is also proposing to rezone 11 privately-owned, multi-family buildings, and these owners have already been victims of predatory speculators.  These buildings are at great risk of acquisition and tenant displacement due to this application. I ask that you vote to disapprove this application so we can treat housing as a public good rather than a vehicle for massive profit. 

The Myth of Trickle-Down Affordable Housing:  

Developers and lobbyists would have us believe that the only way to pull ourselves out of our dire housing shortage is by building new construction. For-profit new construction is overwhelmingly geared toward the luxury market, which has the highest vacancy rates. But it’s lower-income households who face the most severe affordable housing shortfalls, and we have a crisis of affordability. I ask that you vote to disapprove this application so we can treat housing as a public good rather than a vehicle for massive profit. We have a non-profit ready and willing to acquire the site at market rate and build 100% affordable housing.

Combined Message – All Reasons

Please disapprove the application for the following reasons: 

Lack of Community Engagement:

This is a greedy move by Arrow Linen to massively profit from the facility they have owned for 40+ years, while operating off a 25-year tax abatement subsidized by city taxpayers. Arrow has spent thousands of dollars on lobbying elected officials, and did not spend any time or resources meeting with the community. Arrow stands to profit hundreds of millions of dollars from this application, and the community has had zero input on this transformational project. I ask the Commission listen to CB7’s findings and uphold DCP’s stated mission “Work with neighborhoods to develop sound ground-up frameworks for growth”.  

Environmental Impacts:   

Stormwater issues and flooding are frequent occurrences across the neighborhood. There will be thousands of new fixtures flowing into the ancient, combined sewer system. Our sewer systems are beyond capacity and this project will exacerbate unsanitary flooding. Arrow is also kicking the can down the road for environmental contamination impacts from the 113 years of dumping hazardous waste. There is no plan and no experienced entity to address remediation. 

Contextual Zoning and Neighborhood Character: 

I welcome more housing at this site; however, Arrow’s proposal will irreversibly alter the character of the neighborhood and undo prior DCP and community-led rezoning efforts. Arrow claims that up to 19-story towers on a midblock amongst 2 to 3-story surroundings buildings would “match the residential context and character of the neighborhood”. This is an objectively negligent and reckless assessment. Furthermore, the community has no clear idea how City of Yes would impact this rezoning and the resulting building size. I ask for a revised, contextual zoning district based on a rational land use framework.

Renter Displacement:  

The block around Arrow Linen has 59 units of rent-stabilized housing, and Prospect Avenue has the most affordable rents in the neighborhood. If Arrow is able to build 13-19 stories of luxury high-rises, this will encourage speculators to price out our neighbors. Arrow Linen is also proposing to rezone 11 privately-owned, multi-family buildings, and these owners have already been victims of predatory speculators.  These buildings are at great risk of acquisition and tenant displacement due to this application. Please vote to disapprove this application so we can treat housing as a public good rather than a vehicle for massive profit. 

The Myth of Trickle-Down Affordable Housing:  

Developers and lobbyists would have us believe that the only way to pull ourselves out of our dire housing shortage is by building new construction. For-profit new construction is overwhelmingly geared toward the luxury market, which has the highest vacancy rates. But it’s lower-income households who face the most severe affordable housing shortfalls, and we have a crisis of affordability. Please vote to disapprove this application so we can treat housing as a public good rather than a vehicle for massive profit. We have a non-profit ready and willing to acquire the site at market rate and build 100% affordable housing.

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