Public testimony: Chuan Tam details construction and quality of life impacts on family

Now we're going to hear from Chuan Tam.

Chuan Tam.

Chu and Tam.

Hi, can you guys hear me?

We can.

You may begin.

Okay, thanks for having us today.

So I live in the unit, in the first floor unit, right behind the current bank.

So my backyard is literally adjacent to this new development.

I understand the city's need to accommodate growth, but I think it's important to look at the actual impact this particular proposal will have on homes immediately surrounding it.

This isn't a development that's across the street or somewhere else in Long Island City.

This is literally adjacent to my backyard.

My biggest concern is the impact to the increasing scale of development here that we'll have on quality of life,

specifically on sound, noise pollution, light blockage, our air, and our privacy.

When you put a substantially larger building immediately next to existing backyards and homes,

Those impacts are theoretical.

Construction itself could mean years of noise, vibration, dust, disruption.

And once the building is complete, the scale and proximity can have permanent change to the amount of light and air reaching the neighboring properties.

As well as the privacy and the way sound travels between buildings.

This is particularly important to my family because we have two very young children, three and one years old.

Our backyard is part of the living space.

It's where they play, they spend time together, they have birthday parties and have friends come over.

We will not be able to enjoy our living space with this development.

We're not asking the city to prevent development.

We're asking the city to recognize that density has consequences when it's placed directly against existing homes.

And those consequences need to be part of it.

Thank you, Joann.

We really appreciate your testimony at this time.

Thank you so much.