Public testimony: Zoe Newman opposes tower scale, cites neighborhood character
Zoe Newman, a 10-year resident, opposes the tower scale, noting five towers with vacancies visible from the site. She prefers smaller family buildings matching the block's character, raises concerns about shadows, rats, trash, and loss of community resources like grocery stores and spiritual centers.
Zoe Newman.
We'll start with you.
Oh, go ahead.
Yes.
Okay.
My name is Zoe Newman.
I'm 34 years old, and I'm a dedicated member of the Working Families Party, and I've resided at 2103 for over a decade.
I have watched development in Long Island City explode over the last 11 years, starting with Five Points.
The ground was leveled when I moved in.
Luxury towers all around.
But I also watched my block renovated with smaller three or four story family buildings.
And I can see into their backyards and I've watched small children grow tall.
I've seen gardens blooming.
It's been a real pleasure to see that kind of development on my block.
From the door of the lot in question, I can see five towers advertising vacancies.
From my own apartment, I can see all the empty units inside these towers.
And I can see four under-construction towers currently being built up in the neighborhood.
So this...
Development of the
TD lot isn't addressing something that's not already being addressed, I feel.
But I can also see these smaller buildings thriving, and I'm not opposed to utilizing the space to create some more of these family homes that go in line with the kind of
structure that we already have in place that aligns with the needs and the wants and concerns of the constituents on this block, which is very much a working families block.
Making exceptions for investors and allowing them to cut corners or make concessions is actually cutting corners out of the quality of life of the constituents.
They're concerned about shadows.
They're concerned about rats.
I have a giant south-facing window, so I am no stranger to birds flying into my giant glass pane all the time.
So I see this giant glass facade.
I think, great, pigeons flying into the building, dropping down on the streets, the mountains of trash that we already are having a problem with with the prime building.
Like, I just see the ground level deteriorating the higher we build up this block.
It's also neutralizing yet another community resource.
I know TD Bank is TD Bank, but people do use it.
And so I would like to see, like, it go, like, we're losing...
Grocery stores, we've lost union buildings, we've lost spiritual centers to these towers.
I would like to see something that gives back to the community.
And it's not about stopping development.
It's about holding these investors to the same standard that all these other new family buildings have been held to.
They're great people.
Build two more of those buildings in that spot.
We don't need a tower.
Or just lop off the glass facade, those extra six stories on top.
No seller.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.