Just in from City Councilmember Margaret Chin:
“I applaud the SPURA Development Task Force for reaching a consensus on the proposed guidelines for the development of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA). After 43 years, I am pleased to say that the guidelines that will shape the future development of the area were derived, in large part, from the surrounding community. Community Board 3 members and residents spent countless hours envisioning what type of development would be the most beneficial for such a diverse community. This process not only brought the community together but laid the groundwork for the near unanimous vote achieved yesterday. I want to thank the Chair of Community Board 3, Dominic Pisciotta, and CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, and in particular Task Force Chair David McWater. The hard work and serious consideration by Community Board members, the Task Force, and concerned residents, over long nights and long months, made yesterday’s vote possible. This vote has shown both the diversity of the Lower East Side and the strength of unity in this neighborhood. I would also like to commend my colleagues in government for their support of the process, and in particular, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for his prompt statement of support last night. I will continue to work on behalf of the community to obtain the resources that will move this project forward while ensuring a variety of housing options that meet the needs of the community as a whole.”
The CB-3 SPURA task force, after 44 years of not being able to get anything done to move forward with Seward Park have compromised at the expense of the people.
What they have done is fundamentally wrong. This public piece of land was originally for the people and should be returned to the people as 100% affordable housing. GOLES has a plan to make this happen and the Community Board should stand by their plan. The people want, need and are owed 100% affordable housing. Developers, landlords, the Bloomberg Administration, etc. have already ravished the L.E.S. Schools have been turned into condos, buildings have been demolished, people have been violently forced out of their homes, the unnecessary and greedy proliferation of liquor licenses, hotels, illegal construction, and much more.
The SPURA Task force should be should be ashamed of themselves when a legitimate plan by GOLES was on the table!
Compromise is not the way to go.
The time is now for radical action!
To the full Community Board as well as to the people of the L.E.S., I urge you to come out tonight and support GOLES at the full Community Board meeting.