City Planning Commission SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Hearing This Thursday, September 2, 10 am

Village Preservation’s Juan Rivero leading the August 23 press conference with past and future SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown City Councilmembers urging rejection of the plan.
Village Preservation’s Juan Rivero leading the August 23 press conference with past and future SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown City Councilmembers urging rejection of the plan.
  • Virtual and In-Person Testimony Allowed
  • Borough President Holds Five-Hour Public Hearing, Withholds Recommendation
  • Opponents Including Incoming and Past Councilmembers Urge Rejection

The City Planning Commission will hold its sole public hearing on the massive SoHo/NoHo Upzoning plan this Thursday beginning at 10 am. Virtual and in-person testimony at 120 Broadway’s basement concourse hearing room will be allowed. Speakers will be allowed 3 minutes but written testimony of 500 words can be submitted here. To testify virtually, use the link which will be posted by 9 am Thursday morning HERE. Click HERE for sample testimony and HERE for talking points.

WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO TESTIFY AND CALL UPON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION TO VOTE NO! The Commission and the City Council (which will hold the final public hearing in the fall) must approve the plan in order for it to be passed.

TO HELP:

Write City Officials Demanding They Condemn This Attack On Community Groups For Opposing the Mayor’s Plan – CLICK HERE

Last week, Borough President Gale Brewer held a five-hour public hearing on the plan, in which by far the majority of those testifying opposed the plan, including 13 speakers on behalf of Village Preservation. After criticisms from Village Preservation and the SoHo Alliance about the imbalance of the panel of “experts” chosen by the Borough President as the preamble to the hearing, the chair of Community Board 2, a vocal opponent of the plan, was added at the last moment. 

Village Preservation’s Alexis Fowler testifying against the rezoning plan at the Borough President’s hearing. Image via the Village Sun
Village Preservation’s Alexis Fowler testifying against the rezoning plan at the Borough President’s hearing. Image via the Village Sun

Prior to the hearing, Village Preservation organized a press conference of incoming District 1 (SoHo, NoHo, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan) City Councilmember Christopher Marte and past District 1 Councilmembers Alan Gerson and Kathryn Freed calling for the rejection of the plan. We were also joined by Antony Wong of Community Board 2, who spoke to the plan’s disproportionate and negative impact on Chinatown and the failure of the City to do virtually any outreach to that neighborhood — watch the video HERE, and read coverage HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Read our testimony and submission HERE. 

Incoming Councilmember Christopher Marte (l.) and Community Board 2’s Antony Wong (r.) speaking out against the upzoning plan at our August 23 press conference.
Incoming Councilmember Christopher Marte (left) and Community Board 2’s Antony Wong (right) speaking out against the upzoning plan at our August 23 press conference.

Though the Borough President’s deadline for submitting her recommendation on the rezoning plan was last Wednesday, she still has not done so; we are told she will by this Thursday.

For more information on the plan and our fight against it, see www.villagepreservation.org/soho-noho-facts or CLICK HERE.

August 31, 2021