A Letter to the NYC Department of City Planning for OneLIC

Hon. Daniel Garodnick, Chair and Director  

New York City Department of City Planning 

120 Broadway, 31st Floor 

New York, New York 10271 

Dear Chair Garodnick,  

I am writing to you as a representative of the Long Island City community to advocate for robust community input and emphasize the critical need for comprehensive community planning as we consider the Department of City Planning’s Long Island City Neighborhood Plan. Long Island City has been one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in New York City over the last decade. The residents supporting this dynamic community deserve to meaningfully participate in decisions that will deeply impact the future of Long Island City for decades to come. 

The Long Island City Neighborhood Plan must be scrutinized for its profound implications on our community. Long Island City is already grappling with serious deficits in open space and resiliency; these problems will only worsen with additional development unless addressed comprehensively.  

Once the scoping process begins, making substantive changes becomes increasingly difficult. Therefore, it is imperative to address these concerns now. The Environmental Assessment and Review Division’s Positive Declaration found that these proposed actions have potential adverse impacts on open space, water and sewer infrastructure, traffic and public transportation, natural resources, air quality and more.  

This area is already suffering serious consequences from overdevelopment, and it is essential to ensure that any development in this area benefits the community and addresses existing deficits.  That’s why I am calling for the inclusion of the maximum amount of deeply affordable housing, essential infrastructure upgrades, and a fully connected, accessible waterfront that includes plentiful green space and climate-resilient shoreline infrastructure.  

Deeply affordable housing doesn’t have to come at the expense of providing the highest quality of life for residents: that includes live/workspaces for artists, street safety redesigns, MTA upgrades, new schools and community services. A truly comprehensive development plan for Long Island City must balance the neighborhood’s needs for open space, climate resilient infrastructure, and should focus on creating a continuous waterfront park space from Queensbridge to Hunter’s Point.  

Furthermore, we urge you to reconsider the timing of the scoping meeting. Holding such an important meeting in the middle of summer, when many community members are unavailable, undermines the transparency of this process. We request that the comment period be extended past September 13th 2024 to allow broader participation and more meaningful community input. 

Thank you for your attention to these critical issues. 

Sincerely, 

Senator Kristen Gonzalez