SAVE OUR NYC NEIGHBORHOODS – OPPOSING the “CITY OF YES 

To the attention of:

NYC Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams & City Council Members,

We, the undersigned residents of New York City, express our strong opposition to the proposed “City of Yes”, Housing Opportunity initiative. While we support pragmatic efforts to address the city's housing crisis, we believe that this proposal could have detrimental effects on our communities due to the following reasons:

1. **OVERDEVELOPMENT CONCERNS:** The proposal could lead to overdevelopment, straining infrastructure such as schools, public transport, sanitation, parking, policing and emergency services which still need to be equipped to handle increased capacity.

2. **COMMUNITY CHARACTER:** The proposed changes could irreversibly and drastically alter the distinct character of neighborhoods, potentially undermining and changing the unique cultural and historical aspects of our city's diverse communities while affecting the property values and taxation impact. 

3. **AFFORDABILITY IMPACT:** There needs to be more guarantee that the proposed new housing units will be truly affordable for the existing and new residents, potentially leading to displacement of lower-income families.

4. **THE NEED:** New York City has been losing a substantial population over the past decade. Hence, the need for additional development among neighborhoods is not justified.

5. **ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS:** Increased construction may lead to environmental issues, including decreased green spaces and higher pollution levels, which could negatively impact resident health and quality of life.

**PROPOSED ACTIONS:**
We urge city planners, decision-makers, and council members to conduct in-depth, comprehensive impact assessments with genuine community involvement, retain existing zoning regulations, and approve community boards according to existing regulations. 

We strongly recommend exploring alternative solutions that ensure sustainable development in suitably zoned areas, such as rehabilitating existing buildings and/or developing underutilized areas without high-density rezoning. We propose enhanced regulations to ensure any new development prioritizes affordable housing and infrastructure enhancement to support increased population density.

**CALL TO ACTION:**
We call on the Speaker and Members of the City Council to understand our concerns as homeowners and support our opposition to this proposal.

- We call on our fellow residents, community organizations, and local businesses to join us in voicing our concerns and opposition to ensure that development in New York City remains balanced, sustainable, and inclusive and in the best interests of those neighborhoods to be impacted. 

• We call on you to work together to protect the integrity of our neighborhoods and ensure that our City's growth does not come at the expense of its current residents.

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER