Good afternoon and welcome to the February 2026 committee of the whole meeting.

Madam City Clerk, please call the roll.

Mayor Raymond Serber here.

Council Member Lopez.

Here.

Council Member Tarantino.

Councilmember Peters.

Council Member Astin Layeth.

Here.

Council Member King and Council Member Stern.

Here.

Good afternoon once again.

The first two items on the agenda this evening, or afternoon, rather, are presentations.

The first being the 2026 City Manager Work Plan.

We have a presentation.

We have a deputy city manager at the steering wheel.

I will turn it over, City Manager.

Well, thank you.

Thanks for the opportunity to present the work plan for 2026.

Okay.

So each year we develop a work plan that reflects the priorities and projects that we identified during the budget process and the planning process.

And we incorporate city council initiatives and departmental operational and capital priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

So just one thing to highlight for this work plan.

And some of those initiatives are incorporated into the 2026 work plan.

So that was a step that we wanted to formalize.

I know it happens organically every time every year, but we formalized it by adding that step in the process.

So this work plan highlights some of the major initiatives planned for 2026.

But a common theme you'll see it also continues on the initiatives and the successes of the 2025 previous work plan.

So it serves as a roadmap, it outlines the strategic priorities and operational steps that we're going to take to achieve our goals, focusing and enhancing on the quality of life of Neurishell residents now in years to come.

So keeping to the same theme, 2025, we developed the work plan pillars, so we kept that theme.

We thought it was it was it worked well.

But if you look at this slide and compare it to 2025, one thing you see we added city council.

So city council and departmental priorities is what went into the work plan.

So next slide.

So the theme, um we put we talked about this internally, and we said, you know, we said land the planes, because last year was a big year as far as like initiating different things and there was a lot of things that we put up like planes that are in the air.

So if for 2026, we're going to try to focus on landing some of those initiatives.

So that's really a big focus for this year.

Um so in 2025, we identified some pretty big buckets, right?

So some public safety, community engagement initiatives, we had the bicycle units downtown, we had this, we added additional CSOs.

We, you know, our law enforcement career program, we had uh initiatives with the Red Cross.

So we're just going to build on that for 2026.

And we'll see that we're going to expand some of those uh community public um safety meetings and that'll be one of the items that you see.

So we're gonna just expand that in that um uh collaboration for community engagement.

Infrastructure and planning.

So last year uh we embarked again on our stormwater mitigation uh and our complete streets initiatives.

We had a lot of planning that went into those projects and through the course of our stormwater mitigation program that was based on our um drainage studies that we had uh completed previous years ago, um, found out that a lot of these projects are very complicated.

And there's a lot of things to work through, and um I don't want to steal Albarose Thunder for the stormwater presentation, but he'll explain what those challenges are.

So that meant that you know the project stood in the queue, but just took a little longer to to initiate.

So this year we're looking to really um see those projects through in construction and planning and implementation.

Another thing in environmental planning, last year we adopted uh updated Green NR, we completed uh a climate study.

So we we did a lot of plans, so this year we're looking to do a lot of implementation of those plans and those practices.

Uh economic development strategies last year we really embarked really on the vanguard retail uh initiative for the downtown.

We had the tenant improvement fund that was established, um, you know, two over two million dollars, and we're seeing that actually happening right now.

So the so the the I you know the focus for 26 is going to be really measuring that success, right?

Measuring that retail and seeing what those fiscal impacts are for that initiative.

And in community engagement, we we worked a lot last year with uh uh a robust event schedule, uh we had a lot of activations.

So the idea is to you know leverage that community, see that those successes with those events, and you can see how we could use that, right?

Because we have that tool where we're actually you know um interacting with our residents and see where we could use that to further enhance our 2026 goals.

So uh you know, add transparency and and really convey the reliable service that we do here in the Rochelle.

So I'm just gonna highlight, go through with a couple of buckets on some of the newer initiatives and each of the pillars on public safety.

So for this year, uh we're gonna look to begin some quarterly communic uh community public safety meetings.

It's really gonna be focusing on emergency response prevention and the critical infrastructure that keeps NeuroShell functioning.

And the goal, we you know build upon trust, we're gonna enhance our transparency with the community and really force the collaboration with our residents, right?

Proactively identifying and solving their neighborhood issues, but then issues when it comes to safety.

So we're gonna focus on three key areas uh with three uh key operational departments our police department, our fire department, and our public works department.

So we're looking to do these quarterly and um it'll really be a resource to our uh residents, and um it should add a lot of uh value to our communication that we have with our residents and our operating departments on resilient infrastructure, just to highlight some of the new things.

So uh the link is going to continue and it will be broken up into different phases.

Uh the focus for the link phase one will be on traffic calming, pedestrian safety, and community connection along Memorial High Highway.

Uh we're gonna utilize the current funding that we have and uh begin some real construction activities this year that we're gonna see direct impacts to the community and benefits.

Uh we lost the pre-bid grant 16 million dollars, uh, and that was really focused on some flood mitigation aspects of the project.

So uh the project obviously got scaled down, uh, so we're gonna like I said focus on more of the pedestrian and traffic calming issues, but we're not we're still continuing with our flood mitigation efforts in our design.

So the team is actively uh running models and still working on to really sharpen up the flood mitigation um uh initiatives for that area, uh, and that will be hopefully incorporated into future phases.

So the goal for this year, we want to let uh advance the project to final detail design.

We're right there, we're right at the finish line as we speak, put a construction bid package together, and hopefully uh on-site mobilization this year.

So final design, Q2, and that, and then put construction, put start putting the bid packages and the bid outs and start construction at the end of the year Q4.

Uh an item that we seemed very important and we brought to council uh in January is the local safety action plan, the LSAP, the development and implementation.

Uh the basis for developing a NeuroShell citywide program for making streets safer for everybody.

Um in 2026, the plan will have combined not only technical traffic data, but a big part of this is getting community input to better inform and really be a site city-site specific safety action plan uh for Neurochell, and uh it'll help us.

Uh it's required by the USDOT to access federal funding for capital implementation.

So the goal is to uh for this year establish the effective community engagement process, uh start the uh stakeholder engagement in Q1 now.

Uh there'll be a public outreach uh uh time period and then have a final report by Q3.

Uh I just kind of lumped it up because there were so many things happening to some of our major uh corridors throughout the city.

So um so for Webster Avenue.

So just wanted to really just kind of highlight all the specific things that are happening at in the Webster Avenue corridor.

So for this year, we will uh we are in the process of uh curing and uh administering a design contract with the development of the traffic signal replacement project from Webster Avenue on Webster Avenue from Main Street all the way to the Hutch.

So that project will design uh the replacement of all the existing traffic signals and pedestrian signals throughout the whole quarter.

We also added an additional scope to that same contract of uh analyzing a potential traffic signal uh installation at Glenmore Drive and Bon Air.

Uh we're going to continue to address speeding concerns along the corridor as conveyed by the residents.

We had several meetings.

We're still doing the speed evaluation, and we there's an existing speed display sign and collection sign that will be replaced.

Uh we're pursuing a pilot program for school zone speed cameras with state representatives, and a potential location for that would be around the Webster Avenue, Webster School area.

Uh pursuing the TAP grant for additional traffic calming measures.

We'll talk about that later, and it's actually an item that's on the agenda tonight.

Uh, and we're going to finalize a traffic review and pedestrian safety uh report that was uh made for the intersection of Webster Avenue and Flandreau Avenue.

And we'll finalize that review this year, and if anything comes out of that, we'll implement that most likely in 2027.

For the Pine Brook Boulevard Corridor, uh we are we have developed uh detailed design documents and or we'll start to develop detailed design uh documents and construction bid packages for phase one of the Pinebrook Complete Streets program from Beachmont Drive to Forest Avenue, uh final design this year in Q2 and start construction in Q3.

We're gonna replace an existing traffic signal at Pinebrook Boulevard and Tulip Lane.

We'll do that in Q2.

Uh there's some guardrails along Pinebrook Boulevard in the vicinity of Quaker Ridge Interchange.

Uh we have a guard rail replacement contract.

We'll start that construction in Q2 and Q3.

We are going to do the final complete the final design and package construction bid documents for Sheldrake River Culvert replacements at Pinebrook Boulevard and Tulip Lane.

Uh the bid is complete and uh complete that bid in Q1 and Q2 and start construction this year.

Uh we'll also identify funding, continue to do this for final design and the construction of the remaining part phase two of the complete streets uh project on Pinebrook from Forest to Bay Berry Lane.

So those are the specific items that are planned for 2026 along Pine Brook Louis Corridor.

On Quaker Ridge Road, uh complete streets project, continue to pursue additional funding uh to uh state and federal construction grants to support the safety and accessibility for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians along the corridor.

We're specifically going to advance the design and finalize that uh detailed design and start stormwater construction in Q3 and Q4 at the Van Meader Friends.

It's one of the stormwater projects that was initiated in 2025.

And again, as part of that school zone speed camera uh pilot program, we're looking to uh implement hopefully some uh speed zone cameras, most likely uh the vicinity of ward, Albert Leonard, and the Hudson County Country Montessori schools along the corridor.

Continuing on resilient infrastructure, so stormwater flood mitigation programs.

A lot of these projects were initiated in 2025 and through went through extensive um uh planning and designing and permitting and going through working through some of the obstacles of trying to get these jobs uh into final design.

So hopefully we will uh see a lot of uh groundbreakings this year in 2026.

So Whitewood Avenue, Pollen Road, drainage improvements, finalized the design, bidding construction in Q3.

Project I just mentioned on Pinebrook, the Sheldrake River Basin, drainage improvements at Pinebrook Boulevard and Tulip Lane, complete the design, bidding construction Q1 and Q2.

Another project I just mentioned at Van Meter Fensquaker Ridge Road, stormwater mitigation project.

The design is underway currently, has been underway, and bid and construction Q3 and Q4.

Over at City Park, drainage improvements working on different types of alternatives.

The design is on the way and expected completion by the end of Q2.

And we think we should be able to bid and construct improvements starting in Q3 and Q4 over in the city park.

We initiated several mini drainage improvement projects in 2025, and we should we've finalized the design of those.

So we should be able to bid and construct those in Q2 of this year.

This year in Q2.

It's out for bid, construct in Q2.

We have two locations that we were did a lot of investigations last year into Lake Inn in Emerson and determined that because of various reasons, technical engineering reasons, the stormwater improvements were not uh feasible.

However, we're gonna kind of refocus and look at some enhanced maintenance of the infrastructure to help alleviate some of the stormwater issues that they're experiencing.

Again, on the same thing, like every year we initiate a new what we call mini drainage, which are really smaller improvements, uh localized improvements.

We initiated a new contract for that, a new RP for the engineering design in Q1.

We hope to complete the design of those locations in Q3 and then start construction in Q4.

Uh, and then another project we have is a sub-basin five drainage improvements uh at East Chester Road and North Avenue, Whitewood uh Avenue, uh RFP for engineering design in Q2.

Hopefully, complete that design by Q3 and Q4, and then construction most likely would happen in 2027.

Continuing on resilient infrastructure, parks and recreation facility improvements.

Again, a lot of construction happening this year.

Like, you know, that's the theme with the with the infrastructure.

So parks and rec will embark on several capital upgrades of various park facilities.

So over at Lincoln Park Pool, Comfort Station rehab.

We're using the DRI funding, the swims grant.

The city will come uh completely rehab the Lincoln Park pool, the associated mechanicals that go with it.

Um in addition, the bathroom, the mechanical building is gonna are going to be renovated to allow for bathroom access whenever the park is open, complete the design at Q2 this year and start the construction in Q3.

Over at Maple uh Maplewood Park Playground, basketball court uh replacement, uh the playground, the basketball court will be removed, reconfigured, and replaced with all new equipment.

That construction is slated for Q2.

Pinebrook Tennis Center.

We're gonna replace the stairwell, this uh uh replacement and uh removal and replacement of existing uh wood structure there that starts in Q2.

Uh there'll be a pickleball court expansion, convert the two the rearmost tetis courts into six pickleball courts, and that should start in Q2.

Over in Five Islands, the pavilion, we're uh rehabbing the exterior, replacing the exterior decking, the ramps, and some structural members.

That construction will start in Q1 and Q2.

At the No Frio Park Pavilion, we're gonna do an abatement of that structure, uh new painting, new LED lights, uh partial new gutters, and some uh foundation support repairs.

Uh so a nice little rehab to that uh pavilion, and that starts in uh Q2.

Uh over at Hudson Park, the band shell, we're gonna fully rehab the historic uh band shell in relation, you know, and the exterior foundation, some electrical lighting uh along with enhanced storage space throughout the structure and making uh make it a point to preserve the original character and its structure of the band shell, start that design in Q2 and Q3, and start construction hopefully in Q3 and Q4.

And then that uh Ruby D park.

We have the revitalization plan.

Um we're gonna work on that plan to optimize the green space within Library Green.

Uh, and the goal there is to hand enhance the park experience for our young children and families.

It's a real uh it's a real center of the downtown uh real node there that uh is important for uh our downtown in many different ways.

So increase the visibility and accessibility in the Newer Shell Hall of Fame as part of that plan, and that's scheduled to begin in Q2 and hopefully end by Q4.

Uh over at Ward Acres, improvements, various improvements there, once in a generation investment into Ward Acres Park.

So we have our barn site site uh visioning, so it's a revitalization and future activation plan for the historic barn.

Uh we have a new restroom and storage building that are going to be constructed along Quaker Ridge Road, uh serve park visitors and also providing necessary indoor storage for our park staff.

Uh we have a new crosswalk uh connecting ward acres to Ward Elementary, provide a safe and convenient place for the students to directly cross the street and enter into the park at Broadfield Road and access the park easily.

Also functions of traffic calming measure.

Uh we have a main entrance sign.

Really to really highlight the focal point of what the park is and and uh overhead signage to designate a main entrance point into the into the park itself.

Uh we're going to construct 88 compliant pathways to fully uh provide full accessibility and access to the Ward Acres Community Garden and the restroom building for Broadfield Road and our trailways uh trailway signage, design, fabricate, install informational signs throughout the water acres trailway.

So implementation starting hopefully in Q2, and that'll take us all the way through the various projects through Q4.

That's uh a coming soon sign that uh we'll be fabricating and installing uh so to let everybody know what uh the various improvements that are happening in Ward Acres this year.

Uh on dam safety, Glenwood Lake.

Uh we uh Glenwood Lake is a dam, so we are regulated by our regulators to maintain our dams in a safe operable condition.

So uh dam safety improvements uh will be beginning at Glenwood Lake.

Uh we'll be replacing the spillway, we'll be doing masonry wall rehabs, vegetation removal, permanent erosion control measures, and our low-level outlets and landscape improvements.

Uh, hopefully start construction in Q2 through the end of the year.

Over in Lake Isle Dam, we're gonna continue our discussions with the New York State DEC on all our dam safety regulatory requirements, continue our conversation with all our relevant parties regarding dam ownership and our mandated dam safety program requirements.

We are ready to implement implement any court order or directives for dam safety improvements.

Uh we're gonna resolve our standing grant revenues that are due.

We did we had some previous grants and we have performed work there in the past, and we will be seeking uh some reimbursements for that work, and we will also continue identifying both new grant funding streams and those currently earmarked for future dam safety improvements on environmental sustainability and stewardship uh this year over at the ITC, uh a solar ray installation is planned.

So the the plan is to install a rooftop solar uh photovoltaic system on the in on the ITC garage to advance the clean energy goals under the Green R plan.

Uh it's aligned with incentives, you know, NYSERTA, New York Sun program, and the Federal Inflation Reduction Act Direct Pay Provisions.

So this year, the goal is to complete the feasibility study in Q2, uh, do any detailed design that comes out of that in Q3, and hopefully construct uh the array uh in Q3 to Q4.

Uh also on the environmental sustainability and stewardship.

Uh last year we uh embarked on our community forest management plan, our CFMP.

Uh the plan was developed last year, uh, and this year we're looking to implement various uh aspects of the plan.

So the goal for 2026 is, and these goals are straight from the plan to expand the urban canopy coverage.

So we uh the plan is to plant approximately 300 trees using that criteria that we established in the plan.

Uh enhance equitable access to urban forest benefits.

So we we're gonna strive to achieve 50% of the new trees in disadvantaged communities throughout Michelle.

Uh promote biodiversity, habitat connectivity and native species.

So prioritize planting of native species per biodiversity goals from the plan.

Engage in uh you know, really a enhance the community engagement and stewardship, so continue that communication, uh plan events that inform and engage all the residents about our tree planting program and the overall importance of of trees in the urban ecology, ensuring long-term health and urban forest sustainability, finalize the plan and maintain it as a living and a working document that our forestry and uh our uh sustainability uh departments here can work with every year uh to address our tree issue throughout the state.

And we're gonna analyze and revise our city tree ordinance.

Uh, we'll take a look at that this year and see if we could uh revise that under economic development opportunity, prosperity and growth pillar.

Uh, some of the new things for 2026.

So the Hagadorn building, which we uh we talked about recently, uh, is under the the eminent domain process right now.

So the uh the goal this year uh is to position this building as a long-term cultural anchor that supports downtown revitalization, equitable access to the arts and culture, and financially sustainable operations.

Uh, another item that you'll see in the agenda this year is a grant application for uh the national endowment for the arts, and hopefully that would help us to conduct or focus the local regional arts and cultural assessment as part of that.

Uh, help us develop an operator and governance framework for long-term management and the programming of that building in the future, and uh prepare what we call a request for expressions of interest to identify qualified organizations that are capable of operating this uh with the city's cultural economic development and the community objectives in mind.

So that's our goal for 2026.

We are finalizing the purchase this year.

Uh we'll develop this RFEI for Q2 and Q3, and we also plan on once we do uh purchase the building, uh institute some small interim capital improvements just to clean it up a little bit, do some landscaping, uh, some lighting and some safety measures uh while we still work on the the overall plan.

Same thing for uh another eminent building property for this the focus for this year as and the the focus is that these proper both these properties are coming off the tax level.

So the the idea is not to sit on them and just really just move on them.

Uh we have plans for them, so the idea is for 2026 to start the ball rolling on these, right?

And not just let them just sit there.

So it's CVS and 625 on North Avenue.

Uh so uh development of project that benefits the community and dresses a blighted underutilized property.

So we're gonna continue to finalize the eminent domain proceedings for the acquisition.

We'll develop this RFEI similar to the Hagenorm for the development of project that benefits the community and identify what those uh community benefits clearly are in this uh request for uh proposal.

So finalization of the purchase in Q2 and we'll develop the RFEI in Q3 of this year.

Black Box Theater, uh, the goal, performance and arts venue that will bring creative energy to the heart of downtown.

Um attracting residents and visitors throughout our region.

We're gonna solidify our commitment to achieving both economic and cultural vibrancy.

So we finalize the agreement with the uh with the promoter.

Uh that was done early this year.

We're gonna start the work on that.

The operator will perform the site-specific fit-outs uh within the interior of the of the space and uh to make it a viable arts and entertainment venue.

Uh, we'll begin the uh discussions on programming.

Uh that'll happen.

Uh there'll be as part of this operator agreement, there'll be a creation of the NeurShell Arts Center Advisory Board to serve as in an advisory and coordinating capacity for of community programming.

We'll start that initiative this year.

So the interior space fit outs will begin in Q2 and proceed into Q3.

The programming, the creation of the board and the program development will happen from Q2 to Q4, and hopefully there'll be a an event either at the end of the year or the beginning of 2027.

On community building uh new for this year, we have the Thrive program thanks to City Council that adopted this for the budget.

Uh the goal here is to enhance community well-being, promote uh economic equity, support impactful nonprofit initiatives that improve everybody's quality of life.

So for this year, uh the goal is to establish the grant program that's going to provide financial support for our nonprofits to deliver essential services and help you know feed into our quality of life initiative.

There'll be there are several areas uh as part of the grant application uh process that we are focusing on for uh our nonprofits to apply for their economic empowerment, workforce development, education and youth services, food security, basic needs, housing, stability and homelessness prevention, health and wellness, senior and disability support services.

So these are the areas that we or the buckets that we created as part of the program that a non-for-profit could submit for.

Uh and we're looking at grants that can range from anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000.

Uh the program uh launched at the end of last year.

We conducted several information sessions.

Uh the applications we do at the end of January.

We're on the process to begin the review of those and the selection of grant recipient recipients by Q1.

Uh another item, and it's again a council initiative is our participatory budgeting.

Uh again, we've talked about this in several council meetings, but it enables community members to submit ideas, develop proposals, and vote on projects that reflect neighborhood wants and needs.

So for 2026, uh we were do perform a uh pilot of our of this program, focusing on uh the city-owned property around NeuroShell High School.

Uh the program implementation, we're looking at creating the uh the steering committee in Q1 now, uh creating a rule book uh to guide us through this process by Q2, uh getting ideas submitted by Q through Q2 and Q3.

There'll be a public voting process and a council approval winning projects on Q4.

The pilot uh is a small it you know and enables us to as a first time to really um uh focus the program and um allows us some engagement with the school too to leverage some of the student there, the student body uh promotes uh you know the civic education for our students, and I think it's you know it's a great idea to to do this as a pilot for the first year uh to kind of get our feet wet and we can really learn and really leverage from um the different resources that we have here in New Rochelle and and being you know the high school is a center of the city.

Uh we thought it was a great idea to focus uh uh to create this area as a pilot for this program.

Uh part of uh community building, uh Boys and Girls Club expanded access.

Um we'll expand access to both boys and girls club locations.

Uh we just uh created a contract and signed that contract and executed that contract with the Boys and Girls Club to provide transportation to school district students who are not currently eligible for transportation due to distancing.

Uh we enhance youth programming, various aspects of programs that will be offered through this uh this collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club, and also providing a funding mechanism to allow community groups to access both facilities.

So again, this is year-wide.

We just signed a contract, and we hope to implement this throughout the course of the year for these different uh aspects of the program.

Uh community engagement, some new things besides all the things that we do normally.

To utilize our neighborhood, we have uh over 40 neighborhood associations that are uh throughout the city, and uh we thought that in order to extend our messaging, looking at every possible way that we could extend messaging uh that we do is utilizing our neighborhood associations, right?

Um so uh we thought it was a great idea from the city manager's office and and and our deputy city manager association with his relationship with different associations, thought it would be a great idea to leverage that and extend that messaging uh by utilizing these neighborhood associations for 2026 support and promote America 250 uh events and programming, and we're also planning on partnering with the Nurshell Chamber of Commerce and our downtown bid on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

So we have that in um those are the kind of the newer initiatives that we have planned besides our regular community engagement for 2026 on workforce development.

Uh we were we thought about ways how could we leverage our various multiple city contracts with our workforce development initiatives, like how could we bridge that and see if we could feed off of you know our contracts and then help this uh our programs.

So we created a workforce development rebate program that encourages the hiring of workers in all applicable city administered contracts.

So what we did was we introduced the standard boilerplate contract uh float plate language into our contracts and structured it as a as a rebate uh for a partial reimbursement of uh eligible labor costs.

So it supports the new shell residents who have completed or enrolled in in it, the city recognized workforce development programs such as first source or soulful synergy, and there'll be basically an allowance item that would be you know structured to that that makes sense with the value of the contract.

So there'll be some sort of an allowance that a contractor, if he decides to elect to utilize the these programs, that he'll be in reimbursed 20% of those direct labor costs as part of this week program.

So hopefully we'll see some incentivizing of hiring from these programs via our own city contracts.

Amplification of city communications.

We're looking to just you know blast it a little more as much as we can.

So enhance communication and outreach strategies to maximize our city reach.

We're looking to herald a lot of our city accomplishments and different uh different ways, uh increase the city leader connectivity to the communities, our department heads and commissioners, expand an in-house social uh video production, and develop regular short-term short-form video and audio content.

Again, uh initiatives from our our uh communications department really um really just stepping it up on as far as city communications for 2026.

City council updates, some of the things we talked about last year and uh establish this structured monthly update to the city council to enhance transparency, accountability, and strategic alignment.

Uh hopefully this would help to provide a clear overview of you know all the projects that we got going on, any emergency emerging issues, what operational priorities are happening, and address any of the residential concerns.

Uh the goal is to establish communication cadence that's supported by concise monthly summaries highlighting the key milestones, challenges, and upcoming decisions.

So, you know, basically structure it into kind of a city manager initiative update, some departmental updates, and then also specific issues in each of the uh different uh city council districts uh just to keep you know keep uh city council uh informed of all the things that are happening within the city and specifically within their districts, and hopefully start that Q1 this month continued initiatives.

Continued initiatives.

So those were just highlights of some of the bigger ones in the different pillars pillars, but again, like I started off with 2026 really you know, continuing a lot of things that we started in 2025.

So on public safety, right?

So we you know, I didn't highlight these, but I think it was worth putting them down.

So these were in 2025, these were the items we're gonna bridge, right?

We're gonna continually do these right for 2026.

So we're still doing professional growth, um, looking at our senior leadership and seeing what kind of training and um things that they could attend to to enhance their uh leadership skills and management skills.

So continue and enhance our scenario-based training, clear cleaner air equipment for down for our shooting range, down the at the police department.

Uh, new for this year is a CSO body cam.

Uh, expanding our public safety fleet, we're adding an additional 24 hour ambulance to the downtown.

We're uh filling firefighter positions this year, we're seeking grant funding, we're enhanced seeking grant funding, especially when it comes to public safety.

Um we are going to develop a police interactive data hub.

So the data that you see displayed on our website is going to be much more enhanced, uh, much more interactive.

Um, and we have some pretty good prototypes that are out there.

The police commissioner Neil Reynolds is doing a great job on spearheading that uh development, and hopefully this year you would see a whole revamped uh data, police data uh interactive hub.

And uh also for the police department uh institution an elementary school literacy program.

Um so uh more to come on that, but uh that's a new initiative for 2026.

So on resilient infrastructure, again, bridging kind of you know, keep going what we identified in 25, but just to highlight some of the uh things that are happening in 2026 that I didn't highlight before.

Uh we're doing a downtown conversion that's an active con uh two-way conversion that's an active contract that hopefully uh mid to end of this year would see some really um some real work happening out there with the installation of route traffic signals.

Um the actual conversion is still to be determined based on uh how the contract goes.

It most likely won't happen until 20 2027, but there'll be a lot of work on installing new infrastructure this year in 2026.

Uh street lining upgrades.

So again, something that we started last year, but we're gonna really step it up this year.

We're gonna buy like over three, you know, 300 bike fixtures and start to really um you know systematically replace and upgrade our street lights.

Uh over at Ruby D park, we have an active contract that's happening right now.

Um we're doing as we speak some mechanical upgrades and um to activate that kiosk, like we have previously mentioned as uh as a police outpost there at the uh at the park.

Um we should be finishing that contract within Q1, Q2.

Uh we are doing we have embarking on a building department archival scanning pilot project uh to take uh a ton of our paper records and archive those and free up some space in our building department uh over on the west side.

We are going to uh hopefully finalize the acquisition of the 38 First Street site and make that into a future parking lot.

Uh we're continuing with our uh municipal marina dock improvements and uh Wilmount Woods Con property improvements on environmental sustainability and stewardship again bringing over a lot of things that we started and initiated in 2025, but just to build on some of the new things, EV charging expansion at the Newark Garage and other municipal parking facilities, uh start an electric landscaping pilot program and public education on the same thing, uh, and a climate policy evaluation and heat emergency plan.

Building on last year's initiatives, new for 2026, Lincoln Neighborhood Economic Development recommended action plan.

We're looking to streamline the business permitting process, uh build upon the vacant storefront registry, uh enhance and increased retailer outreach and perform some public realm tactical urbanism improvement projects.

On community building, um new for 2026 or kind of building on for 2026, implementing the CCRB.

Um we're planning on doing some blood drives here within uh the city at various city facilities.

Uh we started our new veteran advisory committee.

We're upgrading our website.

We are going to perform or have a citizens preparedness corp uh open house to residents to our all us our city residents on emergency planning.

Uh that'll be in May.

Uh we have a volunteer fair.

Um I called it the year of the committee because we got a ton of committees that are established for various different initiatives.

Um participatory budgeting steering committee, our citizens complaint review board, our 250th anniversary committee, a veterans advisory committee that I didn't mention, a local safety action plan committee, our work group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our black box advisory board.

So it's just it just you know this year seems to be a lot of you know it just happened where um community building and uh committees and work groups seem to be a theme this year.

Um and that is it.

So the the deal is to land the planes, we'll finish you off what we did and um see some real successes for 2026.

Thank you so much.

Um I will open the floor for questions or comments from my colleagues.

Need a second to digest.

Councilman Stern looks like he stopped at a bit.

Go ahead, and um first of all, that is just such an extraordinary amount of work and uh like each one of those projects I know came from either a resident or a council member or a staff member.

Um, and it's just it's exciting and impressive to see um just how organized and accomplished uh we already are at this point, and to be able to have so much in the cue is uh daunting and inspiring.

Um but on that note, I do I a couple things just I wanted to ask about.

So I know last year we had the solid waste management plan as an item.

I just I haven't heard about it.

Is that something that's already been completed?

Or is that one of those things we should do?

Yeah, so that was on the left that was on the left side, so that's gonna be carried over.

So that is in the process of a grant agreement stage.

So once we solidify the agreement, the formal agreement for the grant, then we'll initiate that probably the next steps there is to is to um generate an RFP.

Okay, uh, and to that scope of work to guide that plan develop that plan development.

Okay, yeah, it's in the grant agreement phase.

Thank you.

And then um there was some discussion last year, you know, it's a perennial issue of you know, I want my street repaved, and you know, we only have so much money to do so.

Um, but there was some conversation about looking into recycling asphalt, you know, and there is some new technologies that allow basically for us to like stretch those dollars a little bit further.

Is that something that we've continued to look into?

Is yeah, we we're currently looking into that, yes.

I think uh you know, you know, looking at different, you know, either vendors that supply that or different ways that we could stretch our budget.

Um, but yes, that is something that DPW is looking at.

I could get specific as far as what those items are and get back to you, but they have been looking at that.

Yes, and then all I say is I I know of other projects that weren't even on here that I know we're also pursuing.

So just amazing how much uh every department is accomplishing, especially our public works, though.

I mean so much building happening.

So thank you all.

Councilmember Looker.

You just have to be in uh looking uh whenever I saw that uh what comes also to District One, which is very comprehensive.

You really touch on all of the districts, so uh which is really amazing, but I certainly am very happy to see that several of the things that need attention and uh like the habit on building or you know uh parking parts and you know we're talking about different things that just have been like an eyesore and now coming back to life, it makes me very happy.

Congratulations, and I'm very excited.

Okay, just thank you very much, very comprehensive.

I kind of like prepared my own like thoughts of like what do I want to make sure is in there?

And it's like, hmm, yeah, thank you very much for all the work that goes into actually doing the place.

Yes, uh Peters come from Peter's way.

Um it's overwhelming.

Um so you know, usually I'm used to just saying two things come to mind, you know, when we I'm gonna talk about him like he's not right in front of us right now, but evening yes, our city manager hired our city manager, you know, considering his engineering experience and and management experience was a major factor of it, and I feel like like we're seeing the fruits of that right now, the organization, the compilation of how many things are wrapped into this, and then also knowing that he can't do it alone, and we just have an incredible staff.

Like, I want to give like Stan and give everyone a round of applause because this takes a lot of work, and just like Councilman Stern said, there's so many things that we talk about that are actually happening.

We know they're happening because we see it tangibly, but they're not even on here because there's just so much going on.

But just to put all of that together, I'm very grateful.

I would only raise two things, well, yeah, two things.

Um, when I saw the park layout, I did not see anything for Neptune Park.

Um, and I you know uh I I have traversed there a couple of times.

Uh the people that are there were very concerned, especially um the ladies were concerned that they didn't have uh a public bathroom anywhere near to be able to be enjoy the park without having to completely leave and go somewhere else to use a restroom.

Um so I know that that was a concern, plus their their paving needs, but the county's also working on the drawbridge at Glen Island, which is adjacent.

Um understanding that, and then you know, just to raise it, uh, because it was raised with me.

There's some uh you know, our our uh staff has raised to me that they want to they wanted a path to victory to get the management training that they would need to be able to you know move up within the ranks and fill the vacancies that they want to see.

I know that we do that very seriously already.

Um, you know, but just like for us to talk about it more, I think would be behoove all of us as far as the oh my god, there's just so much here.

I I want to say thank you for everything, so I'm just gonna skip that and just say thank you for everything.

Um yeah, wow.

Consider Peters.

Yeah, I think um I think there's a if I get on if I get on a trolley and I ride around seeing a new show.

This extensive work plan, and the the emphasis that's been placed on so many things, which is really impressive that all of this work is happening, and and that it's it's it not only was initiated in 25, but it's also gonna happen in 26.

Um, and uh as I think about that, I um as a metaphor, I I use the word trolley purposefully because I I feel I still feel around resiliency of particular things that that district three is um I'd have to get on a trolley like the kids who get on the bus to see all of these things that are happening in all the other districts.

I see a few things happening in district three.

I I see the promise of the link, but we're only able to do phase one in reality because we have a 16 million dollars shortfall, and I get that and I understand that at the same time.

At the same time, I'm wondering what we're doing to close that, so that phase one actually becomes the link and the surrounding projects associated with funding for things so that it's not delayed, and it's it's the delay when I'm on this trolley riding around New Rochelle.

That bothers me.

And what the extent of all of the work is impressive.

But that bothers me outside of when I think about my district and I think about district three, and I don't know that a part of that is downtown, and if it's downtown, it's going to be in here, and I understand the reasons why.

But I'm still concerned about other things.

And uh I look at 20, if I look at the just the last four slides, I look at 25, I look at 26, I look at you know, whether whether I'm looking at any of these areas, for me, it's it's uh it's it's not as it's not as um inclusive as I would like to see it if I was making if I was able to do that.

So that's something that that remains a sense of things.

You know, I look at you know, I just can't even think about any other area where we look at traffic and we look at these other things.

I just cannot, it's beyond me that the Living Island Corridor is it's in the mix around some things, but it's not the thing.

I don't I don't get it, and I don't have an answer for that.

You know what I mean?

I don't I don't have an answer for that.

The logic of that and and the and the uh reality of that.

So when I see people's faces and when I go around and people ask, as they do, well, what about this or what about that?

When people talk to me about about what's gonna happen with the storm drainages and what's gonna happen with this, and that's that's left for the concept of something, but not the actions of something, it's it's uh it's hard for me to reconcile that.

And I actually can't, but the whole of the city of New Rochelle, I think it's an excellent plan.

I what I really appreciate about it is the extensive nature of the communication that you've embarked upon, and the departments have embarked upon.

So it's not as if people cannot get involved or cannot be a part of what's going on in the city of New Rochelle.

I think that's that's a really important shift that shouldn't be um shouldn't be trivialized or minimized.

Um so those are my comments at this point.

I'm waiting for the other presentations and other thank you.

Yeah, just really short to end.

I just want to acknowledge that based on your concerns about the Lincoln Avenue corridor, in which we've heard your concerns, and I I want to be clear that our development staff and in the in formulating what phase one looks look like that that was the tr the chief driver of phase one.

Right, no, I think so, you know, kudos to our staff for really zoning in and hearing what he was saying as far as safety and looking at the link project and where we were, right?

To you know, to refocus um on what we could do in link uh on that in the corridor with the funding we had, you know, we we listened.

We said, you know, we said safety, if we're gonna do anything, safety has to be part of it, and that was identified uh early on, and that's really what drove phase one.

So hopefully, knock out with you'll see that this year in 25.

And as far as stormwater goes, very complicated um stormwater fixed there, very you know, through hours and hours of you know, engineering time between our city staff and consultants and looking at what is the most viable economic cost-effective solution, um, and that is still happening.

So the goal here, and I might have touched on it, is as we do phase one, um, we're still going with trying to identify what the right project is for stormwater mitigation in that area, and to hopefully implement that into future phases.

But that train hasn't stopped.

So just because phase one got completed concurrently on the same path, our engineers are doing the storm water mitigation.

And hopefully, you know, and I probably should have put that down that you know, at some point this year we will have what the stormwater final fixes, and then it's the next part of getting money for it.

But I guarantee you both of those things are definitely heard and will be addressed.

No, I I really don't doubt the motivation.

But I I'm I'm more I'm I'm more in the practicality of what can bring us into existence.

So when I think about it, I think about the whole part of it, which is includes as we move forward with housing, what does it mean for us to be able to catalyze the area with retail retail that actually catalyzes the area and and doesn't just become uh a replication of what currently exists with some some sort of window dressing around it.

I'm really thinking of I'm thinking much bigger than that.

And I'm also thinking about the the possible utilization and integration that when we begin to bring in housing, that there may be funding associated with housing that does come in that we're able to put into place, and mitigation funds because the fact of the matter is that the areas that we're describing and talking about in District 3, it was there for a reason, it was left alone for a long, long, long time.

And it's not necessarily a resilient scope of land.

You know, we were talking before about flooding that you know, you have churches that come down that get flooded all the time, but it's they're private old places, and so the ability to take care of it is in many ways out of our hands, but yet it's going to continue to happen.

So there's no continuing plan for the flooding that starts at the top of the hill and comes down and expands if we go by Reminder Boys and Girls Club.

We've got a huge issue there that we know about.

So having said that, as we are thinking about some things, I know that we have some partners, there's still a lot of money out there that we perhaps can begin to move towards in relationship to the kinds of integrated creative thinking.

And so I'm also asking about our state partners.

I know I've spoken to one or two, and one in particular is very much interested in talking about some of these things.

Maybe we can talk about that a little later.

I think there's a large amount of money that's still available, and so these are the kinds of things that I that I'm interested in.

But I I want to if the 16 million dollars is all of a sudden becomes available, and my expectation if 16 is the number that we will begin to move forward if 16 is the number.

If it's a larger number, then I want to be able to know that.

But I want to be able to go after that number because this needs to happen for a lot of reasons, it needs to happen.

So I would doubt your motivation, but I don't want to be the held to uh to uh accept the the limitation as a um as a reason why I don't know um I'll just jump in and um I just want to start with echoing of just kind of digging deep a little bit into just so first of all, a huge thanks because I think every year that you've done this presentation it's gotten better and I think very responsive, and the elements that I really appreciate is that you don't just sort of list what you plan on doing.

I love that you pull back, but also you said things like measure the success.

Um you said leverage community events as an iterative process, you know, year of the committee, which is actually very good.

Um, in terms of like uh a little summary, I also recognize that that means there's one or two staff members at each meeting.

That means they're being pulled away from a duty, they're getting information, and it's and it's positive, but I recognize that it's another way that the team is sort of stepping away from the day-to-day um to kind of um not to kind of but to affirmatively provide uh this kind of responsive governance model, right?

With respect to either policy or the way that budgets are spent.

So I want to name that, and I a frame that like I know we often talk about the iceberg, now we're landing the plane.

I gotta get these to the two kind of euphemisms, but like there's no reference of the day-to-day, like this doesn't even include the stuff that like most of these their whole budget just does.

They don't even do the the elevated kind of pieces.

Um and so in Alfred, you know, just to as a side note, yesterday I was at talking to some law students, uh, classmate of mine is a chief procurement officer for 30 who lives in Rochester and Won't say the city, and I was talking about some of the stuff we're doing, and he was like, I just need to pause because she's talking about it like this is normal.

I live in Westchester.

What they're doing is not normal, you know.

And like he's like, I just need you to like hear me say that as a neighbor in the county.

Uh, you know, so that was kind of cool, you know, because it's easy to kind of be like everything else, and it was neat to kind of hear him say that.

So I just want to call that out.

Um, I love that you called it.

I I like that you included the council and the city like for priorities, it's a little thing, but I think it's reflective of the real significant efforts that you and your staff have made to engage with the myriad of ways that the seven of us communicate and express priorities, and that you you know, even the exercise of writing down our priorities.

I valued that personally because it's very easy to have an idea.

But to answer the question of like, so what are your actual goals?

Which I think was one of your questions.

You know, I think it's important for us to like think about it and put it down in paper.

And I've certainly reflected back on like let me remember what I asked for my colleagues who submitted it, it helped me understand what they were doing.

Found out we had overlap, and so I really appreciated that exercise, but then seeing the results of that here.

So thank you.

Thank you for this.

Um I love the workforce development weaving in the city contracts, that's just brilliant.

It's it feels very innovative.

Um, and thinking about our residents, getting training and then getting access to employment for existing.

I mean, it's just very smart and and leveraging a lot of tools.

I'm sure legal was very involved with that as well.

So kudos to to that kind of innovative thinking.

I like very silly, but even that the presentation is available.

I mean, just like talk about things I love.

Um, that there's deadlines and anticipated windows for when to receive um feedback on some of these.

Webster Ave is a bear of a corridor and cuts through four of you guys.

I think as I looked at the map, and you know, as I was looking at it, and and Councilman Stern has kind of looped me in on some of the conversations.

I know some of them just from living here, you know, I felt like oh wow, each of my colleagues has something to be really happy about covering a big part of the district.

So that's that's really wonderful.

I know we're gonna get a more robust stormwater update in March, so I'm less worried about that.

Um, and while I'm in Swarm Water uh Commissioner Public Works, just want to give a huge shout out to you and your team, like navigating this crazy storm, snow, ice, cold.

Your guys are out there hacking ice literally for hours.

Um and I I every time I go out, sun up or down, I'm seeing one of the trucks out there and the guys.

So to you and your team, I know you've not slept much in the last 18 days, um, and we really appreciate that service to our city.

Okay, I just want to make sure I say that.

I don't know how to pronounce photovoltaic, but I'm gonna go on chat.

I did that how you say it, is it taik?

Yeah.

Alright, I was gonna go on chat GPT and teach myself.

So thank you, Hitler.

Thank you, Latin in the sixth grade.

Um I'm gonna go through one more thing here.

Sorry.

Um, I do have a quick a couple of just quick questions.

What is an RFEI?

You know, we have to learn about our pieces of interest.

Okay, that was that similar to the qualifications.

So it's a step before qualifications.

I mean, it is the qualifications essentially.

Express their interest show with their qualifications are.

It's a step before the RFP process.

Okay.

But after an RFQ or before an RC.

No, no, it's it'll be in substitution of an RFC.

RFQ, okay.

Similar.

Similar, okay.

That's exciting.

Um, for our police commissioner, the public safety meetings, it said starting in Q1.

I see we have like a month left of Q six weeks, so a March date, you thinking?

Yes.

Okay, that's exciting.

That's just something we've gotten questions about.

No need, thank you so much.

Um, and then sorry, one other quick.

This is just I told the city manager I was so excited to see this.

I love it's like the best time of the year because it just really sets everything up for us.

Um sorry, just give me one second.

Umsociation is impressive.

Um, the only other, you know, with respect to the link, I'd only I just I do want to offer, and the um the irony is councilman Peters and I worked on that 10 years ago, well before the city council days.

So I I totally know you're the district rep, but obviously a project hostar.

I will say the other thing I think maybe we should have added is um a couple of points.

We the city did apply for that grant.

Um CS something because we voted on it in November.

Climate smarts.

Climate smarts community, and we didn't get it, it was gonna be 10 million dollars.

Um, and we didn't find out until the end of the year, and it's February.

So I I just want to recognize that there was an effort and a lot of hope.

And I will also say that there's been significant advocacy.

I would argue to our state partners.

I know assembly, I don't know if you're talking about assembly minotis, I'll just say the name because there's no point in secrets.

Um, you know, I know he has this year in particular.

I think once he heard we didn't get that grant in particular, he has been incredibly interested in trying to find other ways for different funding, um, whether through grants or capital funds as well.

And so I know that that's something that when I see him, that's something that he talks about.

He wasn't um not to it, just last year he definitely had his ears open, but this year he's every like that's what he is prioritizing this year.

Um, and I do know in partnership with our staff, we've elevated that as a priority.

They know that the initial award was a DRI grant, so I think there's significant um interest in supporting it because having money promised by the federal government and then pulled back after design and planning had been done is not something, and I think we're one of the few in the area to have lost that grant.

Like I think there is like an even more of a light.

So I do want to just make sure to recognize um because you know, arguably the link is even the reason I got into government.

So I, you know, I would frame like the passion that I similarly have, and I know that our staff are hearing that, and I know that they're leveraging all of those tools to make that a priority.

Um, I often sometimes be like, design, we're delayed for design, but I've learned to appreciate just the complexity of it.

I think you guys really shot for a world-class project with the stormwater.

Um, and having lived on prints for 12 years, I totally get it.

Um, and you had to pivot, but the feedback I also got from another colleague in government in the county level, a staff member, and I think that's what you're doing was to start something because it could help catalyze getting more grants to not wait to do something because it's but you have a better shot of getting grants if you start a phase of it.

And so um I know for a while maybe the thinking was figured out, but I I I appreciate the effort you're doing, and I know it comes as a result of some zealous advocacy to our colleagues in government at the county and the state and the federal level.

So I just I do want to make sure I say that as well.

If everyone is frustrated for sure, um, but I appreciate the efforts, and I will say um I have just so much confidence in its execution with our city manager and your expertise as a professional engineer, and then certainly the work that our development and DPW teams have brought to the table, um, which also was your idea to intersect DPW with development, because before it was kind of like the two departments were working separately, so it's a comprehensive, robust kind of approach and pivoting.

So I just want to make sure I say that as well because we didn't find out about the grant until like six or seven weeks ago.

Um, and the fact that you still are kind of have us on pace for a groundbreaking this year, I think it's pretty significant and incredible, and a testament again to your leadership.

So, with that said, thank you.

We have another presentation.

Our second item on the agenda is the downtown overlay zone updates.

Um I see our commissioner of development, our director of training, and our fabulous consultant at the table.

Item two kind of it goes along with nine and ten, right?

I would say so, uh, commissioner, right?

The actual voting items are nine and ten.

So we will move over another presentation.

Are there copy?

Yes, we're gonna hand out some copies.

Um so yeah, the presentation tonight is to go over the specifics uh for the supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement as well as the updates to the theoretical development scenario.

Um, just basically this is presented to you for your review and for your input.

It would, you know, you're not approving anything if you agree to move forward with this.

You're just agreeing to proceed with the public review process.

So the process at a high level, uh Sarah will discuss in more detail later in the presentation.

But I just want to sort of frame this all by saying what we're doing today is kind of reflecting what we learned as staff uh from the implementation of I'll go to the next slide because it sort of fits in with the agenda.

So just to kind of talk at a high level about the progress we've made as a city since we adopted what we've been what we've been calling the New Rochelle model, which uh really was uh you know began in earnest in 2015 when council agreed to authorize the downtown overlay zone with the uh theoretical development scenario and the um expedited process that we uh have been using through the approval of the to uh provide certainty to uh developers and it and um investors in Rochelle.

So we are looking at a high level at um you know the at those goals um and we'll be discussing the specific and those goals are really again it's focusing on retail, it's being really uh looking at the missing middle housing that we've been that we've been discussing, uh you know, at the with all of the density that we've seen sort of happening in the downtown.

We're looking at where are the opportunities to provide different types of development in our downtown and also to provide opportunities for folks that may have not been able to take advantage of the uh the the activity, the development activity that we've seen to date in the downtown.

So we're looking for different different types of product, different types of projects, different different scales, uh, and creating accessible uh opportunities for smaller property owners and for to develop the types of housing that is responsive to what we're hearing from the community, i.e.

these townhomes, these brownstone sort of inspired kind of housing, and also focusing on you know two and three family scenarios types of housing so that we can encourage homeownership and uh created opportunities for revenue streams so that folks that may not be able to afford their own sort of standalone maybe afford a property that has a built-in sort of revenue stream.

So we're looking for ways to create that opportunity for people.

Um again, this you know the the the DOZ works in concert with the theoretical development scenario where we've sort of outlined a number of different uh categories of uses, and we've assigned a certain allowance of uh those units in there.

So we'll have a deep discussion about how we're going to create um you know tweaks to that.

So we're looking at adding more residential units overall and uh looking at uh kind of tweaking some of the other uses to reflect again the lessons learned specifically with regard to the retail.

You know, what we've what we've what we've heard from retailers in our extensive outreach is that retailers want to be near other retailers, that they want to be of there's a certain concentration, there's a certain um you know, a gravity of retail existing next to other retail.

And retail is on the decline throughout the country, throughout the world.

The physical retail spaces are you know are it's it's evolving and changing, it's moving towards a more experiential type of retail.

So we're we've been very uh invested in researching what the trends are and what is moving the you know retailers to come into communities, and and this update is uh responsive to what we've learned to date.

And so we'll be going over a little bit about what that means and what that looks like in specific implementation.

Uh again, uh the DOZ started in 2015 when council adopted the downtown overlay zone.

As part of that, there was a generic environmental impact statement that was completed.

Um that's been amended several times throughout that since then.

Um in 2016, we um we refined the the TBS in response to emerging market trends and income and development proposals.

We kind of wanted to facilitate and take advantage of the um you know the I guess the wave of interest in in New Rochelle.

Um, and we so we we made some tweaks back then to you know take advantage of that interest, and we think it was uh you know, it created a lot of uh a lot of development as you can see out there.

We have uh 30 30 to approved projects, we have about 6200 units that are either leasing or are in progress, and of that uh we've approved 1100 affordable units at all types of uh affordability levels that we've discussed.

We have a really unique affordable housing code in New Rochelle.

Many places define their uh their AMI limits, um, meaning that you have to be in that narrow band.

In other municipalities, you have to be 70% of AMI.

What we do in New Rochelle is it's up to 70% of the AMI.

So it's actually very inclusive, more inclusive, and what we've seen in the implementation is some uh residents are able to take advantage of their other subsidies that they have to uh obtain apartments in our new DOZ building.

So it's really a very flexible framework.

We find that it's very um, you know, our intention, um, and certainly we're doing a lot of outreach and education to the community so that they understand how they can take advantage of our flexible framework, but it's to provide opportunity to as many households in New Rochelle as we can to ensure that they have uh that affordable housing, and that's been a primary um objective of us in the Department of Development is creating an accessible affordable housing requirement.

Um in 2021, we created a DO7 waterfront district.

Um we amended the supplemental GIS at that point as well, and then uh it's not last year anymore, but I guess in 2024, we we updated the DO8, we added the DO8 Lincoln Avenue neighborhood district, we updated the supplemental GEIS for that again.

And today, what is included in this package is an expansion of that DO8 neighborhood district.

Uh one of the one of the great features of the DO8 is that the investment created or the um revenue created by the fees that are required in the DOZ have to stay in DO8 specifically.

The other districts there kind of can be used to offset and create investment in other parts of the city.

We noted that we've included some of the areas that were traditionally part of DO5 and some other some other areas where there's sort of the marquee properties on North Avenue.

We're looking at in the last update, we moved the Mavis property into DO8.

We're looking to strategically make some more properties that are I think very desirable to developers at the kinds of level that of investment that we think would be very beneficial to the DO8 overall.

So we're doing that strategically, and Kevin will walk you through some of those some of those changes as they affect the the map boundaries and that sort of thing.

So overall, we're entering this refinement phase.

We're building upon lessons learned, we're responding to the residents and the stakeholder input.

We're trying to come up with new standards to achieve more sustainable development, more equitable development, create opportunities for more people than we have been able to create to date.

This is again, it's always been intended to be a living document.

So this is one of it's an iterative process.

We've been working towards you know a lot of stakeholder engagement, and that we take back to the sort of drawing room, and we are refining and continually refining these policies so that they reflect you know the latest and greatest in the thinking both of the community and of the um you know the external environment.

We're trying to court retailers that can go to any municipality anywhere, right?

The types of retailers that we want are they basically have a cachet about them, they can go in any community anywhere.

We are on their map, right?

We are on their radar, we have sent them boxes, we have sent them information, we have called them, we've had meetings with them, we've driven them around the downtown andershell, we've shown them any all of these spaces.

We're very proactive with this retail recruitment strategy.

Um, and you know, these are hearing that feedback.

What are you missing?

What we can't go here because of this, we can't go here because of that.

So hearing all of that, trying to create a canvas, a sort of a blank slate for those retailers to be able to uh work with developers to create the types of spaces that they want so that they can come to New Bershell.

And this particular overlay, this package of amendments is really incorporates a lot of that intelligence that we've gained from all of that outreach.

And again, um this also includes uh a supplemental generic environmental impact statement, and Sarah from BFJ is going to walk you through what they are and sort of some of the um you know, some of the tweaks and the changes, and we'll go line by line and you can see uh what we're what we're proposing to change.

And again, this is an opportunity for us to listen to you.

This is the draft version.

This is going to go to you all for comment, and then if you agree, then we're going to take it public and we're going to submit it for a public comment period, which will last 45 days, 30 days, and we'll uh include a public hearing on March 10th.

Um, and we will be record recording all of those comments and then the final generic environmental impact statement, we will be responding to each of those any comments that we hear from either from you all, from the public, all incorporated, and we have an opportunity to make further changes to tweak this even more so that it is responsive and reflective of the overall needs of the of uh the stakeholders that have uh commented.

So, again, the project goals, comp it's a comprehensive approach.

We're looking to incorporate the lessons learned, we're expanding the middle, uh the missing middle housing, we're looking to catalyze to create large format retail, much of which uh is in district three.

Um I understand Councilman Peters desire to have you know quality retail in his district.

Um he has the benefit of having a lot of land that the there is there are several different properties that have the right stuff, right?

That have the right um attributes and characteristics that retail uh are interested in.

So we're looking to optimize uh our zoning so that we can take advantage of that interest.

Um we're also uh again codifying the changes and clarifying the ground floor frontage, looking to again we have historically required or encouraged retail on the ground floor of every development in the DOZ, even if it was in the secondary street.

And one of the things we learned is we have a tremendous, we have a huge vacancy rate of the existing retail.

And we have a lot of some vacancy, we have pretty high vacancy rate on some of the new retail that we created on the secondary streets.

So it's sort of like if you're increasing the you know the denominator, right?

You have to also increase the new rate and or the percentage doesn't change, right?

So we weren't really helping ourselves.

So this really reflects, let's look at residential as a way to activate the secondary street frontage.

So this is part of that.

It's like looking at creating those townhomes, those brownstones on the secondary streets, so it feels more like a community, more like a neighborhood, and then we can focus the retail on that main drag, on those main drags, those main retail corridors throughout the throughout the city.

So with that, I'm going to pass the mic to Kevin Kane, the director of planning and sustainability to go over the specifics of the zoning.

So I'm gonna go through uh the zoning changes at you know, kind of at a high level.

Um I'll just preface it by saying, you know, I I think basically everything that I'm gonna mention in terms of the zoning changes are are not different from what we've previously mentioned to you.

So when we were before you in the past, uh we mentioned these changes kind of conceptually.

Now we've kind of worked them into into zoning code form.

So with along with the draft is the actual draft zoning text that Adam mentioned, we'll set a public hearing on as well.

So again, these these concepts have not been uh formulated since our last conversation with you.

We've just put them in a form now that we can um say it's it's in it's an actual zoning language.

So the first one is the uh expansion of the DL1 boundary, so you can see on the map there.

Um it's an area that is bound essentially by the railroad tracks, uh North Avenue and Huguenot.

So we're looking into expanding that area.

Um as you may know, DO1 allows up to 48 floors in height.

Um, however, we're putting a restriction in this area here that would cap it at 28 stories, uh, which we feel is more appropriate here at the periphery of DO1.

But what we're also adding is the uh large format retail uh in this area too, and we're what we're doing is we're putting in a parameter that has some to build under development standard three, which allows you to go to the highest level, you have to have a minimum of 60,000 square feet, whereas other properties uh it's 40,000.

So this we you know, just as Adam was just just mentioning in terms of retailers, this is more conducive to the large format retail.

Um we're also looking at remapping portions of DO5 and DO8.

Um part of this has been, you know, we we in in 2024 we had the addition of DO8.

Um at the time, a good chunk of it is is split by the link, and um, this is kind of providing a better balance in that area in terms of the boundaries and and making it more cohesive.

Um, so we feel that that's gonna be you know, result in in a better uh development pattern for the link area.

We're also expanding the DO8 boundaries slightly uh to the west because there are some opportunities for development there.

There are also some existing uh properties there that are non-conforming that aren't necessarily out of character with the area.

Um, as you may know, in this area, as you get to the periphery and you get closer to the existing single and two-family houses that are there.

Um currently we have a restriction that you have to step down to four stories, and this would would certainly uh continue that so that we're not allowing new development uh at this peripheral area that is going to be towering over the existing properties that are there.

And uh we are also looking at uh creating bonuses um along the link and other areas that are appropriate that would allow modest increases in height.

Thank you, Adam.

All right, so again, Adam mentioned retail uh ground floor activation.

So we're we're um requiring that um larger footprint for the retail.

We're also uh modifying the language.

We've we found that parking is something that is um needs to be handled very delicately if we want to entice the right retailers.

Um so we're putting in a requirement that on these sites where we're having this larger format retail, the parking that is allocated by whoever builds the site out, needs to ensure that the parking for the retailer is provided at the same level.

It's actually very important.

Um so that way, you know, people don't have to use stairways, they don't have to use elevators, escalators, etc.

And then we're also looking at the um entry spacing to make sure while we are yes, we are looking for larger format retailers.

This is also you know our downtown area.

We don't want it to be necessarily like a strip model, so we're still putting parameters in place to make sure that there's spacing and other elements to break up you know the mass of the structures.

Uh again, as Adam mentioned, we also are looking at the uh proposing um revising the the storefront requirements so we have this parameter that storefronts are required uh in a good chunk of the downtown, which to be perfectly honest has led to some confusion over the years and I think has maybe resulted in development, you know, has left out development that otherwise may have been beneficial to downtown.

So we're tweaking that to provide greater flexibility, but again, have parameters in place that still generate the right type of physical development, the right architectural type of elements.

On to sustainable uh sustainability and equitable development, um, since uh the Green NR has been uh updated since the last um DOZ update.

We we added language into the code to guide developers to essentially reflect what is in Green NR so that uh the new development that's coming forward reflects better reflects our sustainability principles, and then we are also limiting uh the waterfront access fee, which is some of you may know is is an element of the code.

It's it's a fee that applies to all development in the DOZ currently, and what we're proposing is to uh limit that just to DO7, that the zone that actually has waterfront uh access.

And uh we'll talk, I'll talk a little bit more about fees and how we can kind of overcome any uh shortfalls that we may have otherwise generated.

So, housing diversity and urban design, uh again, we're talking a bit about the missing middle.

Um, and you know, what we're doing here essentially again, we have these development standards, development standard one, two, and three.

I don't want to get too much into the weeds on this stuff, but essentially the different development standards allow you to go to different heights, right?

And to be perfectly honest, what we have for development standard one right now, it it really is not a framework that's conducive to actually building anything at those levels, right?

At those heights, and this is the challenge, right?

So the these are heights that that are you know appropriate for townhouses and brownstones, um, but we're we've found that the zoning really is not allowing for that type of development, and we think a little bit more height is appropriate.

So some of these zones, they you're not allowed to have a bonus, and your max height is two stories.

So, you know, to get some of the development that we're talking about, we feel that three and four stories is appropriate, um, but the zoning isn't in place to allow it.

So we're increasing the bonus heights for a number of the zones uh to allow to foster that type of development.

Along with that, we're looking at the the definitions of townhouse and some of the other definitions in the code.

In terms of mobility, we're looking at the uh valet parking credits.

Uh, we know valet parking has been a challenge, so we're looking at ways to uh revise what is uh allowable to maybe uh I'll say right size uh right size the incentive for valet parking.

And then we're also looking at strengthening pedestrian connectivity.

This is really connected to the DO DO1 extension that I was mentioning before.

Uh, we see a great opportunity for pedestrian connection uh along the the north side of that extension area, and it's it's one of those things where sometimes you know someone may look at it and say, yeah, right, is that actually gonna happen?

Is someone actually going to build that?

Is that possible?

And thinking back to when the DOZ was created, there was a pedestrian there was the idea for the cut through, the site of the Avalon One.

And I think back then it was one of those things where, like, yeah, right, is that actually gonna happen?

And it did.

So I think it's certainly possible, and we're putting the framework in place to allow that to happen.

So the theoretical development scenario, we um I guess let's say right size again.

Uh we we took another look at that, and we're proposing some adjustments that uh make some increase increases in the allowable residential development that varies by uh overlay zone.

You can see in the table there.

There are some reductions in the non-residential uh categories, which um you know we're probably overinflated to begin with, bringing them down and right sizing them.

There are a couple non-residential categories and a couple places where we are proposing increases.

So, you know, you can you can look through the table and see for yourself, but um overall, this is a we you know, we believe it is a better balance for the theoretical build-out uh visit zoning.

So I just want to focus on this uh one image right here.

Uh you know, we've seen uh a good amount of development in DO2 on what I'll call the west end of DO2.

There's been a I'll say it's been very successful in attracting development in that area.

Um we know there's been strain uh due to all the construction and due to the new tenants in the area, um, and we believe that at this point in time uh it's fair to restrict additional units through the theoretical development scenario to that area.

For the community benefit bonus, we're, you know, in particular in terms of DO8, we're we're and and I guess downtown as well in terms of missing middle housing.

We're making adjustments to allow development in certain areas where appropriate and heights beyond what is allowed at the base.

However, as with other community benefit bonuses, in order to get that additional height where appropriate, uh developers would have to pay pay the fee for the additional height if they're seeking that.

We're proposing an increase in the fair share mitigation fees.

Um, I think it's it's probably appropriate to increase those three fees just to begin with.

Um it's it's an appropriate time to do that.

Um but also I think this is connected to uh the elimination of the waterfront access fee in the other uh zones.

So this is like in a little bit of a way to kind of make up for what what may have otherwise been generated through through that process.

It will offset it.

What we are uh estimating through this uh this change would be an uh approximate addition of 20.8 million, as you can see there in fair share mitigation fees from the new residential development.

And that's essentially it in terms of the zoning and uh the theoretical development scenario.

So I'm gonna hand it over to Sarah Eagle who's gonna talk about uh the seeker process uh in the secret document more specifically.

Thanks, Kevin.

Good afternoon.

Um so you have been in this position, I think three times before relative to the the downtown overlay zone back in 2015 with the original generic environmental impact statement, and again in 2021 when you did your first supplement to that generic environmental impact statement, then again in 2024 with DO8 and now uh in 2026 with respect to the the proposed changes that uh Kevin just outlined.

And so it's a lot of acronyms and a lot of letters in this.

But what is a supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement?

I think that's a good place to start for all of you and for anyone watching at home.

So a generic environmental impact statement is a document that's required by the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, and it is called generic because a generic environmental impact statement is area-wide.

So it is looking at sort of broad impacts across a large area, and once a generic environmental impact statement is adopted, nothing gets built.

It is looking at sort of order of magnitude impacts, and then each individual project that comes under this document or developing in the downtown overlay zone, then has to go through its own site-specific review.

And that's the review that's looking at sort of the shovel in the ground impacts.

Why we call this the new Rochelle model is that this document has always been a bit more detailed than other generic impact uh statements throughout the state, and that it's really anticipating many of those impacts and setting up future mitigations, the fair share mitigation funds, all of those things that we talk about and that are get sort of ironed out during the planning board review process.

And so where you are today, back in in 2025, December 9th, you did reaffirm your intent to be lead agency, and you reaffirmed that because you were already lead agency for the original generic EIS.

So this is not a new EIS, it's really building off of the work of the three previous documents, which is why it's a supplement.

It's a very targeted document, and then it only is looking at those impact areas where we're where we think things will be different or uh are changing.

Uh, we're not sort of we didn't want to overwhelm everyone with all this information that's already been hashed out if there were no changes.

Um so you are you became lead agency on January 9th.

On January 20th, you did adopt what's called the positive declaration, which was the statement, uh, your your determination of significance saying we do think this has the potential for one or more adverse impacts, and we want you to go and prepare this supplement draft uh generic environmental impact statement.

So now we are here today to sort of discuss with you all the draft document that's before you and the process that we're in now is what's called completeness.

And so you are reviewing this document to say is this complete enough to be accepted for public distribution.

Are we ready to put this before the public, schedule that public hearing, and get everyone's comments, have that discussion, um, hear what the public has to say, hear what the involved and interested agencies may have to say, and for you all to provide us with your comments.

Um, but that process really only starts once the document is accepted as complete, and so that really is your next step.

Um, in terms of the significant findings of this document, obviously, as as uh commissioner said, you know, this proposed action really advances the city and city goals uh in aligning with existing plans and policies without altering the intent of the original 2015 DOC.

So this really is a refinement document.

We're tweaking that original zoning.

It's been 10 years, a little bit more than 10 years now since that was adopted.

And so we're we're we we know what's working and what isn't and where things need to tweak.

And sort of what you've had such great success, but where are those refinement points?

Where's that, you know, the missing middle is something that's really come out in the large format retail.

Um components of the proposed action are the targeted zoning revision, so those are really what's analyzed here.

We're really specifically looking at the areas that are changing, so the areas that have been added to the overall boundaries, so the expansion of the DO8, the change from DO2 to DO1 in the downtown, and some of the areas along North Avenue that were going from DO5 to DO8.

Um significant unmitigated adverse impacts have been identified.

That's one of the beauties of the Fair Share Mitigation Fund.

Um and then as a result of the TDS adjustments, in some cases, some of the potential impacts are actually reduced.

And one of those uh is related to traffic, the current traffic estimations based on the refined TDS, resulting 13% lower uh trip generation rate than what was analyzed previously back in 2021 when the traffic study was updated.

Um I think also to say, in addition to the the 20.8 million in fair share mitigation funds, the EIS also uh estimates approximately 20 million in additional tax generation, but 10.7 of that is to the school district, and then mitigation measures have been identified to mitigate and minimize any potential impacts that have been identified, and those are outlined at the end of each of the technical chapters and then memorialized in the um uh executive summary.

So the next steps here are really for you all uh tonight.

You are or we're discussing having a discussion.

We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have on the document and really setting, I believe, for your next meeting the vote to accept this document as complete and to schedule the public hearing for March 10th.

Following that hearing, legally under the seeker uh the state regulations for the environmental review act.

There's a minimum of a 30-day public review period.

The public hearing has to be noticed at least 14 days in advance and be kept open for at least 10 days after.

So given those sort of time frame requirements, the public hearing will be open until uh March 20th, at which point it would close and we would then work on preparing what's called the final supplemental generic environmental impact statement.

That document really is a response to comments document.

We would go through every comment we received at the public hearing, every comment received in writing, and provide a detailed response either based on the information that was already provided or uh if there's any new work that needs to be done.

Uh, we can also make tweaks to the proposed zoning and the and the theoretical development scenario uh in that document if needed based on comments received.

Uh following that, we would then, once that document is submitted to you, you would accept that document, and then following the acceptance of the FEIS, we come back to you with what's called the finding statement, which really is sort of a memorialization of the entire review process.

It would set forth all of the steps that you took procedurally.

You want to make sure the State Environmental Quality Review Act has strict procedural compliance.

You don't want to miss any of the required steps or any of the required noticing.

We are handling all the noticing for you, so that will be taken care of.

But you have to sort of walk through the legal record of all the steps that you took and then set forth all of the mitigation measures that anyone coming to develop in the downtown overlay zone has to comply with.

And so we will uh be I think providing as part of this finding statement because we did not reopen all of the chapters.

So, for instance, this document does not include a chapter on natural resources because none of these proposed changes change any of the analysis that was previously done.

In the finding statement, we're gonna bring forward all of those mitigation measures that were in the previous documents.

So you have one complete list, which will just make it easier for department staff, the planning board, and developers to know exactly what what steps and measures they need to comply as they are submitting applications.

And so we are hoping to be back, you know, uh following March 10th, then it would be April for the final EIS, and then May for a potential uh vote on the findings, which completes the CECA process, and then a uh vote on the actual zoning.

And that is it.

Thank you very much.

What for questions or comments from colleagues?

If you're smiling, okay, sorry, you have some leader go ahead.

You started talking, go ahead.

Okay.

Um, well, thank you very much for this presentation.

Um zoning is something that's uh I won't say it's dear, but it's definitely near to the hearts of every Mare Shelly in right now.

Um, you know, just trying to unpack everything that's been happening.

Um there's a lot of level setting that we need to do, you know.

There's a lot of level setting that we need to do.

You know, and I see that you're trying to do that with like where you're doing the feed structures and moving things around.

I appreciate the work.

Well, let's let's start logistically just looking at uh the map of it.

Um when we I think we've had discussions about DOZ and the expansion.

I was hoping that it would expand on the union avenue as well.

I was wondering if there was a reason we you know didn't do that.

The block that's basically union Washington and memorial.

We didn't do that because we feel we we we had this conversation when you originally adopted the DO8.

Yeah, that parcel um that's on the corner of union and division it's just a massive parking lot.

Is a massive massive parking lot that includes a school, there's a church, and there is uh so our thinking was we wanted to hear from the owner of that property what they wanted to build.

And we have more leverage.

We obviously the DOZ is a very prescriptive form-based code.

Right.

Um, and so we really wanted to kind of understand what the objective of the developer was, the owner of the property, the developer, and really have an opportunity to kind of negotiate what would be optimal for our community.

That's a really important site.

It connects obviously the West End to the Lincoln Avenue neighborhood, to the transit center, to the downtown proper.

We have an opportunity there to do something truly catalytic.

Um, and I I I thought, and I still believe that um, you know, to get ahead of ourselves, I think we would lose some control and some of the kind of opportunity to value engineer that project to reflect what our goals are.

I just wanted anyone that sees the reconstruction of the map to understand, you know, what I'm thinking was uh parking.

So I noticed that you you did bring up parking requirements, but it sounded like that was in relationship to the potential anchor tenants that we we might we might have.

But um just understanding what that means for the properties as well, you know, because I think a lot of the especially our our legacy residents have been very concerned with newer residents, you know, not that they don't want the newer residents themselves, but you know, taking up the parking spaces that they've had, and sometimes the only parking spaces that are available, um, and you know, getting uh you know our our new tenants to use and utilize the parking that's on site, and maybe you know, I know that a lot of the new tenants are complaining that that's a little bit too expensive to do on site, you know.

There's a little bit of push and pull that we can do on our side regarding our parking fees, but you know, when we when we green light these deals and when we create these conditions, maybe we are working in a condition about you know not just the parking requirements but how much they're charging their residents for a certain amount of time, you know, that they're you know um because if it's too they're pricing them out of the parking that's already designated, the already limited parking that's designated for the bit the buildings um so that's another uh aspect.

Do you want me to respond to that?

Uh just with the parking lot I know I knew you have another plan for it, so I didn't want to.

No, no, no, it's not that we I think you're spot on.

Yeah.

Um I think that the way to re like the the sort of policy response is kind of multi-layered, right?

So one of the issues with the parking, and one of the reasons why people are not using the parking in some of the buildings is because there is a kind of a friction.

The valets are kind of inefficient, the ones that have been not all of them, but some of them haven't really worked to kind of meet the needs of the residents that are in the building.

So part of this is kind of looking fresh at valet operations, and how can we create more queuing so people can go into the building and leave their car with the attendant while they deal with processing the car and getting it up into its its you know location as opposed to having only one or two spaces in the building, and then you have to wait with your car until it goes into the place where someone can take custody of your key.

So that has created people aren't interested in waiting that long, so they go and find out other places to park, including driving into the neighborhoods to park there because it's just easier to use.

Costs is another issue, um, and that is part of the parking management plan.

The policy, we need to create more parity to your point with the city facilities.

Like, you know, so you can't have this huge delta between what it costs a park in a private lot and what it costs the park either on the street or whatever.

You're gonna drive people to the to the pricing of least resistance, right?

So we are looking at that comprehensively.

Um, and I think that's going to be reflected not so much in the DOZ, but in the parking code.

Um, and it's sort of a separate exercise that we are engaged with a you know, you had that preliminary presentation from uh NV5, who's the consultant that we retained to look at that comprehensively.

There's a final um we've done a survey, the survey includes some parking, this type of market feedback from the community that you're that you're talking about, and then there'll be a response with a policy recommendation on all of that, how we're handling neighborhood parking, how we're handling parking in the buildings, how we're gonna regulate valets.

So the idea all being, you know, to look at how we you know spread out the demand for the parking because the way it's structured now, there's a really kind of uneven demand on the city owned facilities because of pricing, because of a number of number of reasons because of ease of use, all of those things kind of conspire to create a burden on our infrastructure.

So we need to figure out how to share that with the private sector with these new developments, make sure that parking is accessible and easy for the visitors and residents and the new residents of downtown to use, so it's not just all landing on us.

I just I just want to be clear about what we're talking about, too.

So not just how we're altering our parking and policy on the city side, but you know, I mean, I don't know if it's relation to the DOZs that we have or the pilots or or that we utilize or whatever, but also on the building side, you know.

Looking at both.

Okay, okay.

Correct.

Parity's both ways.

It's gonna then we're have to meet in the middle, yeah.

Somewhere.

Yes.

Um agree.

I'm I'm concerned and I'm you know, interested in learning over time, you know, what the impact of not having reef retail storefronts would look like for new developments.

You know, my my I I have an initial resistance.

It's only on the secondary streets.

Okay, I'm gonna do it.

It's only because it's only for you know the DOZ goes out into the neighborhood, the idea is to taper down.

You can you can add a little more, but I just want to make the point that what we're we're we're we're not talking about, you know, on Main Street or on North Avenue or on any of even the primary cross streets uh where we want to see the retail.

It's when you're talking about back, you know, by you know, church street, back by sort of you know, Franklin, like all those side streets that are kind of in the DOZ but aren't necessarily you know, we don't need to create like retail frontage thing, right?

So I was just gonna say part of the part of the issue too is that the the code calls it storefront it says storefront required, but it's it's actually not requiring a store to be there, it's requiring a certain development type, right?

So what we're and that's that's how problems, you know, that's that's led to some challenges, and so part of it is getting rid of that so it's it's there's greater clarity uh on what's actually required there.

Um, and it's also providing a bit, you know, I think better flexibility so that we get um we have opportunities there to get the kind of development that we're looking for.

But if you think about like some neighborhoods in Brooklyn and in the city where you have you know, you have like setbacks, you have little gardens in front, you have areas that you know, when you're walking, it's a pleasant residential feeling, but there is more density than you would allow in a typical suburban standalone single-family housing.

So it's kind of just creating it, but sort of thinking about the experience as a pedestrian and using that residential frontage to sort of enhance the landscaping, enhance that the the streetscape around those parts of our community.

And and then we still have you know the site plan review process, which includes the architectural review, so that we can get you know, when when they get to the planning board, there's the opportunity to make sure that the design is right for that site at that location.

Right.

Okay.

Um so that does ease my concerns.

So new parking lots in front.

We're gonna try to make it as we're gonna try to keep it because it is a form-based code.

There are at the at the end of the code there, I believe there's seven or eight different frontage types.

So those are specified, what those look like, what the setbacks are, what the build-to lines are, sort of what this there's astute frontage, there's an arcade frontage, there's a retail frontage.

So all of those would now be allowed, and just give developers flexibility to program that ground floor space in a way that responds to the market and isn't over-retailing your downtown.

Right.

So another thing is um the the variations in height requirements.

So, you know, I saw you know, for the example that you provide, and they're sure in the increase in height requirements in some spaces.

I think which actually, you know, looking at the example you gave, it makes sense for that spot because it's already a very simultaneously industrialized or you know uh high-rise structured area.

It's not a lot of single family homes anywhere adjacent to that.

That makes sense.

I'm just thinking about other sections, other overlay zones where the feedback from the community is like, okay, I you know, I I live in an apartment, so I'm clearly not against apartments or apartment buildings.

Does it need to be like a 20-story tower or 40 story tower or could we know and then there's also a contrast?

Like I grew up, I I gave you my own case.

I grew up at 50 Guyong for the first 10 years of my life.

Sorry to all of my friends' constituents.

I know it's Guion, but that's how I said it when I was growing up.

But that was an 11-story building, you know, and speaking to developers, and we do want those units, you know, speaking to them, they will say they won't get out of bed for less than 16 or 18 or something like that.

So I mean I want to I want to clarify uh I I believe the the location you referenced with the 28 stories that's in that sort of currently like industrial that that height is currently allowed at 28 stories under DO2.

Okay.

Under DO2 development standard three, you can build 28 stories, but you have a like uh a smaller site, uh a smaller footprint required 30,000 square foot to achieve the 28 stories.

What and in DO1, I think what Kevin was trying to say is you the development standard three goes up to 48 stories, but in this new crosshatch, development standard three is staying the same as it was.

We're just requiring the larger site, the 60,000 foot site, so that we can accommodate a 40,000 foot building footprint with 20,000 feet of parking at grade in line of the retail front door.

So it's we're not change, we're not allowing more height there.

The place we're allowing more height is in district three.

If you think about Memorial Highway facing the link, right?

The new link site.

If you think about in line with where uh 50 sickles is and um, you know, that that buildings are on 11 stories.

So we're thinking we would allow development to go up to that height so we could have more opportunity for density there, and that at a higher level, a higher bonusable.

So like it's it's a it's a higher number of more floors are we have to purchase basically to build that height.

Right.

And then that money that the developers purchase to build that height has to stay in DOE.

So it's kind of a mechanism for to your point.

I don't get that the sum of the developers have said to you I don't get out of bed for less than X stories.

Sure, get out of bed, but bring a checkbook because you're gonna have to invest in a community that requires investment.

Right.

This is an under, this is this is an underserved.

I mean, I know council.

It has you know, it is is it is time to reinvest in that community.

You know, we have we see the opportunity there, and we don't want it to be at the expense of the people so that live in that community.

So it's it's a it's kind of leveraging the framework that we have in the DOZ to I'm sure I'm gonna get quoted for saying bring the checkbook.

Some of them go.

But you know, the idea is to bring more round to make an investment.

And that under and underinvested community.

I think to that point, it's not just the additional height.

The if you look at the community benefit bonus in order to buy into that height, it is two and a half times more expensive than the rest of that district.

So it's you know, there's a certain incentive there for that height.

Uh, I think uh just to finish the height conversation, and in development standard one in districts two, three, four, five, six, and eight, we are going to allow uh a density bonus currently, I think is as Kevin said, you're maxed out at two stories, and this density bonus under only development standard one would allow in those districts to go to four.

And so it's a very minor height district.

They all under development standards two and three can be significantly higher.

So it's not going to create inconsistencies.

It's just right now in those smaller lots.

I think the minimum lot size is 5,000 square feet.

There really is no incentive to develop, and so you're not seeing sort of that infill rehab development and some of the lower the smaller scale developments that could be on those smaller sites.

Okay.

And just last question.

Um you know, I'm looking at what we're doing with zoning, and I'm seeing an opportunity, particularly in you know, urban environmentalism.

Um we've had the discussion several times.

We want our, I'm speaking for both of us.

We want our rooftops activated, we want to see more green in our downtowns.

It's already very difficult because you can't create park space out of a series of private properties, but you know, more green racking, more uh environmentally uh uh sourced energy, you know, we're all trying to get off of our dependence of uh you know our friends at Connette men.

It was very hard not to use that excluded.

Um, but you know, even what we're doing with our transit center, uh creating the incentives for our private developers to do that as well, would be very important to see.

Um more solar, more wind, more IV racking, um, you know, more uh balcony, you know, terrace growth, more you know, rooftop gardens, you know, or activations overall, things like that would be, you know, if we could work that into this to make it a part of our incentive programs.

Again, I'm thinking very much about um it's called the house at Cornell Tech, which is on Roosevelt Island, wildly environmentally friendly and modern development that's now housing their students, um, you know, energy conservation in their building, it'd be very, you know, it would be golden for us to see you know, a series of projects that were like that in there.

So if we could work that into, well, it's required, so here we go.

Um, that would be great.

Are there questions or comments from my colleagues on the second item on the agenda?

I just I have Peters.

Good couple of cross.

I don't have a couple at this point, but I think next week I'll have more, but there was two things that you said that I just wanted a little bit more clarification about.

You mentioned something about requiring was it 60,000 square feet or something like that, um do we know as relative to what we're requiring to the uh that particular DOZ, if you will, like what properties do we know now that actually have that kind of space?

And secondly, uh, what would be the method for people to get there?

What does this mean?

Does it mean that people buy other people's property in order to expand?

That's basically what we're just assembling so as it's been for the for the DOZ.

What what what makes the DOZ unique is that it creates a um a framework for private sector to assemble developable parcels privately.

It's not it doesn't involve what we've called the eminent domain, the blight clearance, slum clearance, these are techniques that have been used by the public um kind of sector in the past to create opportunities for development.

What this does is it allows private owners to say, I'm aware of what I can build here.

I'm going to either work with my neighbors to put assemblages together, and so they then they achieve the criteria that we require.

The specific the specific crosshatch for DO1 that you're referring to is you know, kind of that area along the the um transit corridor.

It goes from North Avenue down towards uh I guess river echo kind of cedar, whatever's on the other side there.

And there are a number of parcels that uh would meet these criteria.

Um of which have indicated that they're in the market or they're exploring opportunities for a buyer.

We see it as an opportunity to create uh a civic space to connect the you know, if you think about the um the building, the BRP building.

I just blanked on the name.

500 Tankati?

Not 500, the other one, the motif.

And it's it's the motif connecting that via a pedestrian sort of civic pedestrian connection that would sort of take them through that back along the transit center along the train tracks onto North Avenue, and using these zoning techniques to also activate those buildings, similar to what we're doing on the link where you have the buildings like turned around to face the link now where they previously could put their back or the dead side wall to that to that frontage.

Now we're gonna invite those buildings to orient themselves towards a new civic space that would connect from the transit center at North Avenue down into where the motif is.

So it's creating a new pedestrian passage, new bike passage, a new kind of pedestrian linear, an opportunity for a linear park.

So in addition to creating the you know, the retail uh like optimum retail kind of configuration, it's also an opportunity to activate a new civic space in our downtown.

So that would kind of run parallel to you know Huguenot Street and Main Street and would be reserved for pedestrians and though we've we've talked a little bit to some developers that have been exploring their options to purchase some of those parcels and telling them what we're asking for.

We've heard people want high quality retail, and there aren't many places in our downtown as it currently sits where you're gonna get a Trader Joe's that wants to go, or you're gonna get a you know, if it's either Trader Joe's or Wegmans or even Jachos, like these stores, they've been here, we've toured with them, and they're like, I need parking at my door.

My the amount of money in the shopping cart when you can walk straight from the cash register to your car without changing grade, without going up or downstairs or an elevator, is like 40 to 50 percent higher, right?

So that's what they're looking for.

Um and and that's kind of driving their thinking about which site to pick.

So we feel this is like a frontier for us.

It's it's one of the few places where we have these types of these sized parcels, and it's in our downtown proper, and we feel with like some great urban planning techniques we can really create um and uh a real opportunity for us to have kind of what we're looking for, and also incentivize the creation of a new civic space and really um activate the the downtown.

Yeah, so downtown is a part of is a big part, obviously, of my district.

But I'm when you mentioned that when you mentioned the Trader Joe's and the weddings and all of those things, I really do see that at least within district three, I see that closer to home, meaning not far from here as a catalyst.

As you know, I've been talking a little bit about that.

Yep.

And um, so um I'm just wondering, you know, how we're prioritizing catalyzing down in this particular residential area because up to this point.

I'm hearing about other parts of my district and or perhaps some of the other surrounding districts, but that again lives itself to not being a catalyzing agent.

Downtown has been over the course of our development has been catalyzed by RXR and then others in relationship to that.

So I'm still interested in that.

The other area that I've worked on that I have a question around is union labor.

We we've had some conversations and discussions around uh the use of of union labor and perhaps even the the ways in which they're able to bring funding into this relative day use up to this point.

We haven't had any of that happen here with the city of New York Shell.

Developers obviously don't want to necessarily be involved with union labor, but union labor creates a number of different pathways relative to so many different things that people in the city of New Rochelle could benefit from directly as it relates to that.

So, as you're thinking about these days, how is that factoring into some of our planning, if at all, including discussions that we have with developers?

So uh you you kind of had two questions from my perspective.

I'm gonna answer the what when you're talking about the downtown and the retail opportunities being kind of closer to home, closer to here, closer to the Union Avenue.

You know, though I'm thinking it is connected right over here off of at the Mavis side, actually, it's what's well from Mavis to the boulevard, right?

So it's what we spoke about.

And you know, currently there's that overpass that's there that connects the exit 16 ramp system to Memorial Highway now.

Sorry, around with the roundabout.

That that in a subsequent phase of the link, we're gonna bring that down.

That's gonna allow the traffic to come from the exit 16 ramp system into the North Avenue directly as a T intersection, and that's I think when we those sites will like appear on the radar of the retailers as candidate optimal candidate sites.

And I think it's at that point we need to get our we need to get that link project going because that taking down that overpass is really going to be the main engine of the revitalization that you're talking about.

And believe me, I heard you when you were talking to the city manager about the link project.

I mean, we've spent so many hours just chasing after money.

Obviously, we were really excited when we got the 16 million in the first place, only to see it get taken away by you know this administration.

It's devastating, right?

I mean, I believe in that project, I believe in the transfer transformative power of that project, and um we're not to we're not gonna be thwarted.

And I think we have to start in in in incrementally, we have to go in pieces, as everyone said before me.

And we're gonna get there for that overpass and creating that new plaza and then creating that new access from the I-95 to North Avenue, and that changes the game for this whole section of the city and makes retail a real um option and makes it a real uh you know, uh a feasible reality.

And so I'll that's all I'll say on that.

And then on the union stuff, I know we've talked about um, you know, we've had this conversation about the unions, and and obviously um it's a conversation I think for the council at large.

We need to do we need to decide our current our economic development non-discrimination policy, does not specify union labor.

There is no mandate from to the to the developers, um and I don't know that um you know, I I think that's a conversation that we should sort of workshop and and have a conversation about what like a sound policy looks like.

I know with the at the IDA, we've we've we've had conversations uh about creating a an op an incentive program that would encourage union participation in IDA subsidized projects, uh, but it is a it is an optional um program that a developer we would try to create an incentive that makes it an attractive option and makes it an option that they uh want to pursue, and we are in the process of working through that.

We we've been dealing with uh some folks from that that represent union banks or union uh impact funds um to try to understand what their needs are.

Um and I we're still working through the terms like what's gonna be meaningful to them, what would what would be the incentive for them to invest?

Um it's we're still um kind of a little bit far away from each other in terms of what the uh what the city could even offer to make it feasible.

So we need to get into that, I think, offline.

I I I mean I I I think it's the kind of a conversation that is relatively technical, and and I'm and I'm happy to kind of share where we are, not to be you know opaque about it, but you know, it is definitely it's an issue that is highly charged, and it's you know, that there's a great difference in the cost of a project, union labor versus non-union labor, and um it is something that we want to make sure uh that I would want to make sure I have the full buy-in and and uh of counsel.

Well, yeah, and and I and I think I'm actually I actually think we're at that point.

I think we do need to have this kind of a conversation in in in real terms about what this looks like.

I do think that we need to strip in policy associated with that in relationship to that coming into existence.

The other side of it too is that I'm very much interested in whether or not again I asked this question before, and you may or may not know this now, but it's something I'd like to know, uh, which is around we keep talking about the 16 million, is that the number that would activate the full completion described described that we're talking about now?

Is the 16 million dollar the number?

I mean the 60 million is the amount of money that we were awarded from the federal government right project.

But that money was discussed in relationship to being able to green light what we wanted to do without necessarily having to do this in phases.

So is the 16 million that we're describing the number?

Or is it a different number?

Because you I think it's important to know that.

Yeah, I think 16 million, a lot of that was based on some preliminary stormwater assessments, and like I have mentioned before, we're working through those stormwater designs.

Um, and it could very well be that depending on what the fix is, uh it could be much more than 16 million for what the ultimate you know solution is for stormwater, or if we were able to analyze it and do some value engineering, it could be less than that.

So I think we're working hard in that direction to kind of you know find out what that number is.

But 16 million represented kind of an early kind of estimate of what those improvements look like when we were back with uh, you know, we got a lot more information now that could, you know, some of the some of the early estimates put it a lot more than 16 million for the stormwater improvements.

But like I said, we're we're going back and looking to see where we can make those adjustments and changes to get that uh within a more reasonable number, and then pursuing all the funding opportunities we can uh to to bridge that gap.

So um I think we'll have a better idea probably on what phase two improvements are uh definitely complete this stormwater portion this year and finalize what the final fix looks like, and then I think that's probably the main component of you know from you know wrapping in what the costs are for phase two, right?

Uh definitely complete this stormwater portion this year and finalize what the final fix looks like, and then I think that's probably the main component of you know, from you know, wrapping in what the costs are for phase two, right?

So 60 million could be that was that's that's that's could be more than that.

Yeah, because that that seems to be the rationale for why we're saying we're not doing this, or we're unable to do that, and I don't want that to be out there as information that that we that we're utilizing for the most part.

So if we don't know the number, you know, we need to know what the number is.

We need to know, and I think we need to know that because what you just described, absent having that number, it becomes uh the impediment for a change to actually happen.

And if we're saying that we want to be able to change things, if we're saying that we want to be able to transform things, then we need to understand what the number is.

Because if we don't have the number, this this again is we're just replicating what always happens, and it's happening.

That has nothing to do with the current council, but that has to do what has always happened.

If we're going to make the changes, then we need to know the number to make the changes, or we can't make it.

I think I'd rather message that to the case.

Well, I think there's got a converse, it's a little it's a little nuanced because you know, there's the surface improvements that we talk about that would catalyze the economic development piece, right?

That doesn't include the stormwater.

Right.

The stormwater can be as robust as we can afford because there's flooding there, and you know, there's also some other characteristics of the the land where the where the project has to be built, uh the the terrain and all that.

So I think it's about right sizing not only the the the cost is a combination of how much can we how much do we have to do, how how big is the project essentially.

I think we can get to a place where it matches with our funding.

I think we have to be honest with ourselves as we evaluate that you know not only the funding, but what's the what's the scope of the project that we're designing.

I agree.

And I and I think that's what we need to put into place.

But I think there are some options that get us there that perhaps goes closer to whatever that number might be vis-a-vis the discussion around some of the union stuff and some of the other things, and it's and the strengthening of the of that policy that up to this point, the developers basically, as you mentioned, they don't want to get out of bed.

That's what you just said, right?

They don't want to get out of bed, that it's not this or that.

But we have an entire city here, and and in part we need to be able to do that.

And we keep saying this again and again and again again, but I'm not seeing us doing that.

I'm not seeing us getting there.

And so that's my concern.

All right.

Just to just to understand I mean, we are we are working to get there.

And to just Adam's point there.

I mean, it's it's you know, stormwater is big, it's a big component of the project.

Um, and um we're gonna have to make some engineering value engineering, cost benefit engineering decisions, and look at what the you know, mitigation, the benefits are right versus the costs.

And we're gonna have to make those versus and and and what the available funding is and what the realistic funding would be, right?

For court for stormwater.

So um, and I think it's it's a it's it's complicated, it's a it's a complicated process, but I guarantee you we are in the middle of it right now.

It's happening as we speak right now to come up with those different options so that we could evaluate and come back to council and say, hey, listen, this is what we this is what we could get with the funding we have, and this is what the benefits would be we would see with this type of these type of improvements.

But when I said yeah, costs could be above, yeah, initial estimates were for what we were thinking are schematically and what we were thinking at the time to handle it, were very high.

But maybe through the analysis and through what we're doing now, we could kind of you know make those, you know, cost benefit decisions and um you know, hopefully work within the funding that we could get.

Um, but I think the other part of the project, the the surface element projects are you know, you know, more straightforward.

You know, we know what they are.

I mean, it's the up the underground portion that is a big question mark and different different ways we could tackle that.

Yeah, no, I I I understand that.

I I think I think it is very complicated, and I think that it can be hard, but I think that's what's required.

Is basically what I what I what I'm saying, you know.

I I I really do.

And I and I'm not sure, and could what will happen?

What I will know in the interim without that happening is that brown stores will go up, townhouses will go up.

I don't know where they're gonna go up, but I'm not sure if they're gonna be going up in the in the in the area that I'm describing.

But they will go up.

Everything else will continue.

But I'm not but and that will happen, and we'll be satisfied with that.

And then I'm not sure what will emerge out of that, but around what we're unable to apparently be able to deal with in the real time.

Well, it is a focus of mine to ensure that the area.

That will no, even even more than motivation, like targeted interventions to engender the type of development that we need to see in that part of the city.

I mean, we are very, very closely.

I mean, we're kind of in this place where this link project has to happen.

We need to show the world that we can execute on this project on this vision that we set for everybody that they're like, yeah, you keep asking for money, nothing's happening, nothing's happening, nothing's happening.

We have to break ground on something.

It changes the game for us in terms of our ability to deliver this level of project.

So I'm sorry, no, no, no, no, no.

I just I just I wanted to just jump in because I just a couple of things as I understand it that I think haven't been said.

So A, when we talk about what we're able to do with the resources, I know we're see, I think I forget the phrase of the surface level.

It also includes traffic improvements, right?

If I'm not mistaken.

So we're acquiring that state, which I know has been a priority and a concern for my colleague here from District 3.

So it's not just like pre zhuzing it up for the economic development, which is important, but it's addressing the the real traffic concerns, which everyone in this room has heard me talk about ad nauseum because I lived at that intersection, everyone knows I run, I have kids, and so I I think that that was a decision made vis-a-vis around the resources available, how much of the concerns from the council and residents that we've heard we can address.

The other part that I want to frame that's that I think is different under your leadership, um, and reflective, I think, of your expertise and and our commission of DPW is you guys were like there's more rock underground.

I don't know how else to say it in a more elevated way, and our initial assessments were not really done as subterranean as I think your team has brought to the table.

And so I think as you were kind of hitting the stride as to the cost of cutting bedrock, we lose the 16 million, then we try to pivot praying for the 10 million, we don't get the 10 million, but we get guidance that if you don't do something, you're definitely not gonna get more, and until we do something, we won't even have a true assessment.

Like the more we get into that ground, the more we'll understand.

And I think I mean, for those of you who have watched any of the meetings from my term as council, the the flooding is like a legitimate, you know, pervasive.

I mean, before the stormwater mitigation plan, which you know has identified the issues.

I mean, on Prince on Brooks, the the the seniors at 64 Lincoln not being able to get out to go to their doctor appointments because the flooding would kind of come down the the hill.

So I I think you're not giving up on stormwater either because you you've heard it as equal of an issue as traffic and as economic development.

And so um, and so and I'll I'll be the first to say, and I know you know I probably have offended our commissioner development, like, oh my god, another design and picture, you know what I mean?

And like because not understand like because I get because I get frustrated too.

I I'll be transparent.

I get I I am I'm I love this project, you know.

It's 10 years of of my life on this project.

So I I get it, but I will say just having your expertise at the table.

I think when we break when this when this goes out to bid, it's going to be a true assessment of all of the environmental impacts that will give us a true sense of the dollar that we need to ask for to really knock out phase one and then the phase two, which is the overpass.

So um, I just think the last when did we lose that money?

We got it in 24, we lost it in 25, and so within the last eight months within in a year, we went from having it to losing it to potentially having two-thirds of it to having none of it, but then being encouraged by the stakeholders with more money to break around on something so that we can try to get the rest of it.

So I get it, and it's it's super important to catalyze the the community and and this closer to home is as framed.

But um, I just want to leverage that.

I think you're you're trying to make a dollar to 15 cents to address the three biggest elements economic development, traffic mitigation, which required acquiring land from the state, and then still trying to do what you can, and maybe instead of four subterranean water basins, as I understood it, maybe two.

And how do you think of the lever that was gonna like slowly let the water come out right behind us in the circle?

Like I know you're trying to think of other pathways.

So I I know I suspect we'll have a more robust update around this um shortly, because I I do know that it is a priority, and I think you know, when we think of other traffic projects in the city, I'll just say Quaker Ridge, for example.

I think we've learned that lesson of trying to do what we can with the money we have to not create the delta with inflation and time over time, and now we're still responding to the Quaker Ridge issue from from from kind of inherited projects.

So I just wanted to frame that that this isn't just like taking a can of paint and painting it.

Like I think the traffic was a huge issue, and it was a lot of moving parts, and that is definitely a part of phase one, and so there will be at least not just an economic development opportunity, but an enhanced standard of living for the corridor because that's gonna be addressed, and God willing, some part of stormwater.

So I don't think I want to be real clear that I'm not in any way saying that the city manager or the team isn't doing the best that they can with what's available to them.

That is not what I'm saying.

If that's for people are hearing, but that's what you're hearing.

That's not what I'm saying.

What I'm saying is very different than that.

What I'm saying is that we need to prioritize and to put into play and to put into action the securing of both the will and the desire and the determination to bring this into existence.

And that this is not something that can wait for a longer time because we are already expanding and building around it to things that we can.

And I understand that.

But that's but that does not negate what I'm talking about here.

We need to be able to figure it out.

And in my sense of this, I don't I do not see how we can figure it out if we don't know what that number is.

I don't see how we can figure it out if we don't begin to increase the the possibilities of funding for people who may want to do that separate in the part from how developers don't want to have to somehow have to sharpen their pencils a little more because they're using unions to get things done.

I don't see it happening without these kinds of things being integrated into this process, not a year, two years from now when we finish phase one, but that needs to be something that is prioritized in this moment right now.

So when we're talking about um uh stricting the the discrimination policy, we're talking about different things associated with what we currently have in place.

We need to do that, we need to do that now.

Development or developers in and of themselves can drive everything, everything cannot just be out of what they would like to see happen.

I think that there are other options that are available that we need to make more available so that they recognize that they are a part of the new shell experience that they certainly use to to increase their their sense of or purpose and their sense of competence throughout what they do, and I think there are things that we can do now that we're not doing um I think it's it's 6.15 and we have 10 more items to go and three executive sessions, okay.

I think the robust dialogue reflects the you know, everyone has a standing a passion, a commitment.

That's that's a that's that's just opening the gate, that's just breathing in the morning.

Um I'm just saying we all have our standings.

Um, and I know that we've talked about a more kind of robust to the council because while there's a council rep, and obviously mayor, my colleagues are also very interested, and it does intersect to other districts.

So I think reflective of the need, the ref I'm not denying it, I'm just framing that it's reflective of further, which I trust we will get, and in the meantime, individual meetings can frame whatever gaps, but we do have item number three of 12 and three exec sessions.

Thank you.

All right, number three will help bring down the average a little bit.

Um there's a public hearing this evening, a proposed resolution amending condition number four of City Council Resolution 129-2012, 10 better, regarding a special permit for Hudson Country Montessory School.

We have that presentation a couple months ago.

It's up for public hearing questions or comments on this item.

Hearing none, we'll move on to item number four, which is proposed pin 8759-02, the Webster Avenue traffic signal state local master agreement.

Um it's related to funding commissioner, please.

Hi, good evening.

Uh, this item is to allow us to um execute an agreement uh with the state for their emborsement of the um traffic signal we sign at all when you uh that program will allow us to reimburse in total 95% of the solicited amount.

Um, and uh one of this this that is a resolution of approval for the council so we can circle back with the state.

Great questions or comments on item number four.

May I have a motion and a second moving forward to our consent agenda, Lopez and Stern.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Moving on to item number five, which is a proposed amendment to the code of the city of New Rochelle regarding parking regulation changes to Westchester police.

This was a matter that was previously on the agenda.

I think we withheld it for some discussions.

This is Councilmember Austin Loyer's district.

I'm assuming you review is it?

Yeah, did you review this?

Um I'm satisfied.

Okay, good restoration, yeah.

Commissioner, anything you'd like to add?

Um, no, well, yes.

Uh we looked into the concerns with with traffic, maybe the whole parking.

Uh we, you know, with these resolution, we will uh range state a loading zone.

Um there is restricted parking.

Uh, so we don't foresee that being an issue.

Um, and I think it's worth mentioning that with the re-establishment of the park paid parking stalls.

We you know, historically we've collected about 10,000 dollars a year just from those spaces along as well.

Well that's excellent.

Uh questions or comments on item number five.

Hearing none, may I have a motion and the second moving item five to our consent agenda, please.

Ocean Louis and K.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Moving on to item six, a proposed acceptance of New York State Office of Mental Health Cares upped grant program.

Um I think this is for our fire department.

I see our commissioner chief coming to the table here.

Hi, Chief.

Good evening.

Good evening, Chief.

Anything you'd like to add on item number six uh the CARES UP grant uh is given by New York State, uh Office of Mental Health.

Um it's designed for basically uh veteran and first responder uh resiliency, uh the whole person kind of thing, physical, mental, spiritual, and uh can be used for a variety of uh purposes.

Um doesn't cost the city anything.

And uh want to actually thank uh my fellow chief from the city of Rye for alerting us to its existence, and uh they used it successfully, Rye Fire Department, and uh like I said, variety of things uh uh every day, you know, just uh dealing with trauma on a regular basis.

Uh, where's our people down?

And uh this is definitely a good thing for us to use and to have, and we'd appreciate uh accepting the grant.

So thank you.

Any questions or comments for my colleagues on item number six?

I just love approval.

Love the mental health aspect, and I love the fact that it's in collaboration with information that you got from another city that's spectacular.

It's good stuff.

It's very much needed, and thank you.

May I have a motion and a second moving item six to our consent agenda.

Ash and Louis and Peters, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Um item number seven is a proposed establishment of a cannabis excise tax trust account and related requirements.

Um something sponsored by council member Sarak.

We discussed this in our January meeting.

Um who's chatting on this commission city management?

Uh yeah, so um just this just a little background, just refresh memory.

So the marijuana regulation and taxation act um allowed cities and towns and villages to to as an option uh to were given an option to opt out if they wanted to to allow for adult cannabis dispensary.

So back in the end of 2021, um there would have been a uh a requirement for town or city or or municipality to opt out by council resolution.

We did not do that, so we we opted in.

But um just to put back um so to refresh that the cannabis retail licenses, distancing requirements, all are governed by the state, by the Office of Cannabis Management, and we strictly follow that.

We you know, we adhere to those, and we actually adopted some of our own local ordinances back in January 2025, piggybacking on those requirements.

So um it is what I'm saying is highly regulated, so you know, even though the it might seem as though the you know the amount of of establishments being open may seem you know to some as excessive or whatever we it's really uh really managed by the state and by our local ordinances.

Um so I just wanted to frame that.

Great.

Thank you so much, sir.

Uh Councilmember K.

I assume you want to say something.

Um yes, so uh thank the staff for coming back to us with this framework um our consideration, it establishes uh buckets of potential uses of the funds, and um, if we were to establish this trust, it would be um uh a resource for long-term investment in our command.

Yep.

Other questions or comments on item number seven motion and a second to move seven to our consent agenda, please.

Okay and uh Peters, all in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Item number eight is a proposed approval of the reappointment to New Rush Board of Ethics.

Um the city manager has recommended Wilbert Ortiz to the new shell or a reappointment rather of Wilbur Ortiz to the New York Board of Ethics.

Questions or comments?

Oh, sorry, do you have anything to add?

No.

Okay.

Questions or comments from my colleagues on item number eight.

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second moving this item to our consent agenda?

Uh Stern and Kay, all in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Moving on to item number nine is just an introduction, it's not a vote.

Nine and ten are together, and they actually relate to the presentation our commissioner of development did.

So um item number nine is a um introduction, the proposed acceptance of the supplemental D G E IS as complete regarding the downtown overlay zone.

We would vote on 10 to set the public hearing for March 10th of 2026.

Any questions or comments on these two items?

Councilmember Stern.

Just a brief comment.

I mean, this is obviously a very consequential uh update to our zoning for the downtown.

Um and you know, I think if you read this, it's really hard to grasp as a regular person who doesn't um you know uh absorb the the nuances of zoning.

Um and given that this is uh established you know this one or the next one will establish a hearing that's really the only opportunity for resident input.

I would just ask or encourage um the city uh to put out really clear communications about what this actually means in like jargon-free language, um, because there is so much really smart strategy and thinking about why each of these decisions uh is being made.

I think in the course of the conversation tonight, a lot of that came out.

Um, but you know, I think given people's you know attention spans and just you know uh if we want them to really have a meaningful opportunity to give input into this enormous change, I think we need to make it really clear to them exactly what we're doing that's different and why.

Um so that's my only request.

Yeah.

Other questions or comments on uh well, nine and ten are a pair, but we're voting on ten.

Okay, may I have a motion and a um a motion and a second adopting the resolution directing a public hearing relative to accepting the supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement, and the hearing would be March 10th.

Umye and Peters, all in favor say aye, and any opposed.

We are also voting on item 11, which is a proposed application for US FY 2026.

The city manager alluded to this in his work plan.

It's a grant um that would help support uh programming for the Hagadorn.

Um you want to add to this?

We'd ask if you maybe mayor a vote for it this evening to see if the deadline is February 12th.

Brilliant for the session.

Any council member Lopez ready to do a cartwheel for this?

Yes.

Um any questions or comments on item number 11.

Hold on, I see the director planning popping in.

Oh, I think that's called a conside.

Oh good?

Yeah.

Okay.

Um any questions or comments on item number 11 before we go to the vote.

May I just make a quick request that we refer to it as the Carnegie Library because we have a Carnegie library in Nourishell.

Um we no longer need to call it the Hagadorn.

It is the Carnegie Library.

Absolutely.

Yes.

Absolutely think that we should.

I will only ask since we're in the middle of the EDPL.

Like, are we elected?

It's I mean, currently it's still is the Haggad.

Right.

Yeah, we don't need but we don't have to.

Okay.

I think once everyone's once we get the keys, you can uh we'll change the name.

But let's we have we don't have a key.

We're still negotiating.

We're not negotiating with this process.

All right, aside from name change requests.

Any other questions or comments on item 11?

Thank you, and it's move forward.

Okay, motion and a second to vote adopting the resolution authorizing our city manager to submit an application for this grant.

Um a motion and second one by Lopez and our second by Kay.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Moving on to item number 11 uh 12, rather, which is another this is another great resolution because it's proposed applications for the NYS Department of Transportation, Transportation Alternatives Program TAP 2025.

It's four different grants that I guess our region has suggested we apply for.

We wouldn't get the first.

Four different grants are candidates for two award, two grant spots.

So of the four that we're submitting, the NISDOT will select two of our candidate projects.

I mean, to be transparent though, the projects identified are Quaker Rich, the Pinebrook Boulevard Complete Streets, the transit center and Webster Avenue.

So those are significant tried and true, you know, repeated by my colleagues of areas for investment.

So we appreciate the energy that's being spent to kind of receive these funds, and that God willing will help us, or person willing or universe willing will help us close the gaps to bring the complete streets through.

Questions or comments on item 12.

Councilmember Stern.

Just noting there's a city match work quicker it specifically.

There's a 4.6 million dollar city match that's required.

Is that already has that already been sorry?

Would that be taken from the money that we've already allocated?

Or is that like an additional 4.6 million that we would then need to bond before?

I'm sorry, Kevin just we were talking and I can't hear your question.

Thinking about Quaker Ridge Road and with this uh grant application.

There is a required city match of over 460.

4.6 million.

Would that money come from money that we previously allocated, or would that be a new bond?

It would be additional city money that we need, but we also, if you recall earlier, I guess not in this year, but within the last 12 months, we also submitted a grant to the county.

Right for the same project overlapping scope.

So we're hoping if we get some portion of that, that that number will lower the amount of uh city money that we have to contribute to the project.

But it is new money that we need to match.

Okay.

For clarity's sake, we have not received word on that county grant yet.

We did not.

And I think Kevin is telling me that for item nine.

Although I'm not sure what specific agenda.

Conferring with okay, uh I had a different instruction, but I will we can do that.

Okay, so we are moving to consent agenda.

All right, so it's nine and ten.

So ten we voted in.

Set the public hearing.

Nine is accepting the document as noted by the commissioner.

So may I have a motion and a second to move to the consents agenda um accepting the resolution accepting the S D G E IS.

Lopez and Stern, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Okay, back to 12.

Councilman Stern just asked a question about funding.

Any other questions on item 12?

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second moving item 12 to our consent agenda?

Uh Lumpez and Oshanloye.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

All right.

Um, I'm advised that we have three topics for executive session.

Thank you, uh, development team.

One on settlement, one on appointments, and one on real estate.

Um may I have a motion and a second to adjourn this portion of the meeting and go to executive session, Stern and K.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Thank you very much.

We will reconvene at seven for the public hearing and citizens to be heard.

Good evening, and welcome to the public comment portion of this evening's meeting.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Good evening again.

Um the public portion comment public portion, the public comment portion of this meeting is two parts.

The first is uh related to those that have a public hearing notice, and the second is citizens to be heard.

For both, you are limited to three minutes to speak, which will be designated by the timer there.

For both, we ask that you state your name and address for the record.

For the public hearing portion, we ask that your topics be germane to the topic of the public hearing, and I'll read that topic shortly.

For citizens to be heard, you are free to speak on any topic that you wish.

We have one public hearing this evening, and it's uh related to a special permit for the Hudson Country Montessori School.

Notice is hereby given that the city council of the city of New Rochelle, New York will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 7 p.m.

in the council chamber, uh City Hall 515 North Ave, uh New Rochelle, New York, relative to the application of Hudson Country Montessori School located at 340 Quaker Ridge Road to amend condition number four of resolution number 129 2010 to increase the total allowed student population by 50 students from 210 to 260.

Um the campus is not being expanded, and the parking lot will be reconfigured, resulting in an increase of 18 parking spaces.

Um notice was um given on January Friday, January 30th.

We do not have, let me just double check.

I do not see any comments for this public hearing, so I'll call it to a close.

Shifting to our citizens to be heard, I will call you in groups of three just so that you're aware that you are in the short order of being able to speak.

Our first speaker is Vincent Malfatano, followed by Maxime Goleb, followed by James O'Toole.

Mr.

Malfatano.

Good evening, uh Vince Malfitano.

I'm here with uh the folks with uh Jim Calorne and the group.

Uh for many, many years we've been very concerned about this.

Incredible frenzy of development.

Uh it seems like anybody who showed up got an approval.

And of course, after the fiasco of the armory some years ago, you came up with this ingenious form-based zoning where somebody can get an approval, basically uh maybe talking to somebody in the bathroom, and it gets voted the next evening.

I mean, it's ridiculous.

Uh public input is discouraged in this town.

But Mr.

Calorne and a group have been fighting successfully and with attorneys and others to try to stop that project.

I think it's 570 Main Street, I think.

Um, folks.

We all know it.

The downtown is almost uninhabitable by normal human beings anymore.

Between the lack of enforcement of parking and the incredible massive increase in density that you've allowed, it's really it's really counterproductive to healthy living.

I don't know if you care.

I don't know if any of you actually live in the downtown, or you maybe you visited.

But uh was pointed out to me that the committee of the whole meeting earlier today, there was a proposal.

I don't know if the manager to try to redo a lot of their zoning around town and throw up all kinds of new developments.

And I didn't see the meeting, but there's a great chuckle in the audience that the map or the presentation had the wrong street names.

I don't know if that's true or not, but again, that doesn't matter, does it?

It doesn't matter how wrong all this stuff is, was and will be, as long as it fits somebody's plan for whatever, it'll be approved.

I've been in town about 45 or more years, and I take my life into my own hands driving from Pelham Road to get here.

I consider it a driving test.

If you can negotiate the double parkers, the motorcyclists, the scooters, the jaywalkers, the insanity going on downtown, the lack of enforcement of people running red lights.

You can pass any driving test in America.

So keep it up, guys.

Now, Mr.

Osanoy, I've asked you for many years to get me some statistics and the number of summonses issued to bicyclists, scooter operators, and others, and nothing is forthcoming, and I know why that is.

I don't count for squat.

That's okay.

But somebody's gonna get killed in this town, and you guys are going to be responsible for it.

When I drive around this town every day, people cutting through, leaving lights, somebody's gonna get killed.

It's on your hands.

Our next speaker is Maxine Gollup, followed by James O'Toole and then Jim Calorin.

Good evening.

My name is Maxine Gollup.

I live at 98 Bay Berry Lane.

Um, and I want to speak to you for just a moment on behalf of the United Community Center of Westchester, UCCW.

And I'm glad I have a lot of friends behind me.

I I assume that most of you are familiar with the work that they do supporting immigrants in New Rochelle, but as a reminder, UCCW provides social services, enrolls people in health insurance and other benefits, helps people with housing problems, and assists immigrants from many different countries with referrals for legal services.

Many UCCW clients are survivors of domestic violence, and they find both support and access to services at the center.

I also assume that you know that at the end of October, the UCCW officers were flooded, most of their equipment and supplies were destroyed.

As a result, the staff have been working remotely or at times on the street in front of their building, providing whatever services they can to their clients.

They are clearly functioning well below capacity, which negatively impacts both their clients and their ability to achieve the deliverables on their contracts.

They have been unable to apply for new grants since they don't have the space to implement programs, and they have had to lay off three staff members.

Needless to say, this disaster could not have come at a worse time for our immigrant community who live in fear due due to current ICE activities and need more support than ever.

To date, almost four months after the storm that flooded their offices, the space remains uninhabitable.

I know you share my concern about this.

So I'm here to respectfully ask that the city council members, the city manager, and all staff prioritize UCCW's situation and use whatever resources they may have to help UCCW find appropriate space and financial support so they can continue to provide much needed services in our community, the only serving immigrant commun, the only agency fully serving immigrant communities here in New Rochelle.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

I truly hope you can find a way to help this essential organization.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is James O'Toole, followed by Jim Clorin, and then Sarmika Marble.

Maribel, my apologies if I missed it.

Good evening, James O'Toole.

230.

I don't want to say Avenue.

It could be street, it could be court, because that report that came from the development department today.

I don't know what streets your people are talking about.

You have Center Street, you have Division Court, you have Leeroy Plaza.

There's no streets in this city to buy that name.

That whole report is flawed.

And now you want to have a public hearing in less than a month.

That most people don't even know what you're talking about.

I mean, I'm here 60 years.

I've never seen such name call, street names in my life.

Where do these people that are doing this report live?

Where do they come from?

It's a joke.

They don't know this city.

We know.

The residents here know.

The traffic in downtown No Rochelle is disastrous.

Disastrous.

There is no enforcement of double parking.

The police officers come up, peep their horn, no tickets given.

And when I speak to police officers, they go, James, the courts downstairs don't enforce it.

They will not enforce it.

They don't get the hundred dollar ticket.

It's a joke.

And then with this whole snow emergency that you called for a week, every snow emergency route had cars parked on every one of them.

That's why we couldn't go curb to curb in snow removal.

It was horrible.

Yet, there today you were up on the top of North Avenue saying, Oh, our DPW crews are doing a great job.

All that snow should have been gone from the snow emergency route.

Why isn't there no enforcement?

Everybody is going nuts.

You had to go over there to Union Avenue and clear out the snow, but you left the business district for three days, suffering.

Restaurants are ready to go out of business because snow wasn't removed.

The prior administration, that snow was removed two days after the storm.

Gone.

The whole city was cleared.

I'm sorry.

You guys got to get your priorities straight on what's going on here.

And now you want to say, oh, we're going to build housing on side streets.

The biggest corridor street in a downtown of No Rochelle besides Division Street is Anderson Street.

I want you to all go there tonight and take a look at it.

The snow hasn't even been gone.

The stuff is piled up, but you did Lee Count Place, where there's nothing on.

Nothing on Lee Count Place.

You removed all the snow that new rock piled up on Lee Count, five stories high.

You took their snow away.

Tell them to remove it.

It's a joke, man.

I mean, come on, guys, you got to do a better job.

Shane, I I don't even know where you are in our district.

You're my district man, but come on downtown.

Come to what I see every night.

It's a joke.

Come on, get ready.

It's gotta stop.

The madness has got to stop.

Our next speaker is Jim Calorin, followed by Sarmika Marble and then Serge Becker.

Hi, good evening, everybody.

Jim Calorin, 25 Leroy Place, not Plaza.

And uh I've been in downtown for 35 years, started three not-for-profit businesses.

It's an honor to be here with you during Black History Month, and also I want to say bienvenuto Milatinas Latinos and uh Importante a Sala Ciudad para el futuro de tuyo, and important para la comunidad de Latinos in futuro.

And we need to build homes for all colors, all races, the lunacy of these high rises and the danger now, the danger of those of us that live downtown.

And I want to thank the fire department and the police before I came up to a meeting last week.

The three fire trucks couldn't get through Prospect Park parking lot and the snow and the cars are blocking.

Someone's gonna die.

And every morning, and uh I we shouldn't be a city of foils, but of information sharing freely.

Uh the fire trucks are down there at Madeira, false alarms, pipes of are are breaking, not in the old buildings, but in the new high rises.

Panels coming off at 360, Huguenot where the first FBI ra raid wasn't that great.

So it's really uh I was there for the first fake community meeting that they did about the Lowe's Theater, and we don't have a theater yet.

You want to activate the downtown, move downtown into the empty vanguard offices, the city employees.

That salary regenerates into the business community.

Have a trolley, a historic trolley, start at this 250th anniversary, not a Fred Flintstone shuttle that goes around and picks everybody up throughout the whole city, in and out and have people park outside of the downtown.

It's a dangerous situation for those of us that live down there right now.

So activating move people, our city salaries and and we love the city employees, but you want and the listening to that meeting before you came here, the gobbledygook, the DOZs and and the DOZ is done, and we are just over over saturated.

And I I want to thank Councilman Peters for saying uh calling it the missing link.

It's not gonna happen.

Do we have sixteen million dollars your dear or not?

Your questions were accurate.

You you don't do something like that, and it's a great grandiose plan announced by the former governor.

But but Brook Street was called Brook Street for a reason because as you know, there's flooding and there's rock underneath, and I've done so many flood homes from here to Mamarinick to Rockaways.

We're all under overdeveloping, and the water problems are a real problem for every homeowner in small business that is here.

So we need to change.

Hold your next meeting in the theater, in the black box theater.

I'll provide the uh and also I want to say I would help with volunteers for the community at the UCC Center.

You're looking at Tu Kiadri para you that um for so Jackie can get the the center open again, and we do that with volunteers all over.

So may this be the start of the second revolution to bring it back for the people.

You've left with the developers enough.

We let them stay let them stay in bed.

Thank you.

Our next time for the citizens in the Rochelle.

Our next speaker is just finishing one sentence.

It's time for the citizens in the Rochelle to be heard and to be included in real meetings.

Thank you for letting me finish.

Next speaker, Sarmika Mar Maribel.

My apologies.

Serge Becker and then Jose Luis Cohen.

Hiya doing today.

My name is Sarmika Maribel.

I am uh I live at 55 Beachwood Avenue here in New Rochelle.

Um I came here.

This is my first time um meeting with you all and speaking, and my concerns are housing here in New Rochelle.

I as well, as um an African American woman that was raised in this community, is now being pushed out of this community.

Not only did you um approve all these new high rises uh in this community, but they are extremely too expensive for anyone to afford.

Okay.

Um I've reached out to numerous people and uh City Hall.

Amongst one of those people that I reached out to was uh City Council Martha Lopez.

I invited Martha to come down to my block to see the signs that had needed to be removed on my block um for parking, and she she never contacted me.

Um I've spoken to also numerous other people in this uh division.

Let me just speak of one that I need to um address that is supposed to um be affiliated with uh the city uh section eight office here in uh New Rochelle.

So that person is um the city management um department.

So I reached out to your office recently in regards to Neuroshaw municipal housing and their commission of board.

Okay, um, they have a lot of things that are inaccurate and wrong at their board.

They have a lot of people making decisions that are not qualified, and um they are not being fair about things.

They are not giving people their due process.

There are a lot of things that can be given to people in this community that is withheld because you have these um uh deputies or whomever who's supposed to be running these section eight offices, they're not doing their jobs correctly.

If you're trying to build a good community and you have these high rises that you're welcoming all these people from the city to come and live in for three and four thousand dollars, um why won't you bring anything else valuable to the community?

Why are you only having these smoke shops that are selling these illegal drugs out of these smoke shops and making tons of money off of our black people?

Okay, because uh you know it seems that some are more important than others.

You know, we we've been here for I I want to speak for everyone, especially low-income people.

These smoke shops need to be shut down.

They don't need to be on every corner.

That's not what this is about.

We want to have good lives as well.

We want to be able to go to restaurants and have a good time as well.

And and and it just doesn't look right.

You keep opening these businesses, they're not good for the community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Serge Becker, followed by Jose Luis Cohen and then Blanca Martinez and Alberto Gonzalez.

Good evening.

Um here to speak about um some history.

No worries, I can continue.

Uh don't worry.

Um two weeks ago in these very chambers.

Um there was a presentation for the New Rochelle Planning Board uh presenting uh the revised plans for 570 Main Street project.

Um this is a project that's been in the making for some time.

Uh there was a planning board hearing in March that we all attended and uh provided a lot of feedback about what the community felt was uh the flaw was the project and what the community wanted.

So they came back, they did the presentation.

Uh to everyone's surprise, they actually took some um you know some feedback into into consideration.

For example, instead of building a 547 unit building, they're actually proposing to build 500 unit building of luxury housing.

And this is not my interpretation, these are the words of the council that did the presentation.

On the in this in the right in the middle of the area that you, as part of the 2026 DOS amendments going through right now, evaluating uh what what went right and what went wrong in the area that has been identified by the city manager uh by the commissioner of development.

Um I heard uh director of planning Kevin Kane mentioned it again today as the area that will be uh prohibited from development because there are all these identified problems uh with very dense development going on in a very particular uh part of downtown.

For some reason, this project is up before the planning board to consider not 10 50 unit affordable housing buildings, but a single monstrous 500 unit luxury tower.

Um how do we get here?

You know, we actually had some time to to research and find out, and you know the roots go back to uh when you started out as counsel uh back in May 2024, there was a resolution passed by all of you in a very quick marathon session uh that basically introduced the allocation criteria that prioritized of all things affordable housing, because that is the number one issue for for residents in this town.

So I ask you now uh council councilwoman Lopez, you spoke about the need for affordable housing, and you you voted yes, you said yes that you you're voting for that.

How do you feel about your vote being used for constructing a 500 unit tower?

Umsulman Tarantino is not here.

He offered some wise words of wisdom, but you need to fix this.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jose Luis Cohen, followed by um Blanca Martinez, who looks like we'll be joined by Belgium Gonzalez and then Juan Para.

Jose Luis first.

I need to say to Spanish.

Yes.

Okay.

I'm a civil engineer.

I construct bridges.

I construct buildings.

With 45 years of experience.

The reason I am here is that I'm giving support to the institution that helped me here when I came to New Rochelle.

The institution that is led by Jackie Godello.

Perfect.

I've gotten support from the from the community center for technical for legal work.

With that support, I was able to continue and to be part of the labor force of New Rochelle.

I am currently working as in national parks and parkways on like the Bronx River Parkway on fixing the roads.

So they could be part of the labor force.

Just the opportunity that I got.

Hi, I'm here to tell you and ask you.

Please help us open up the center.

They do a fabulous job helping us when it's with applications, filling out paperworks.

It's super important that we get the center back.

Thank you.

And her her husband's there.

She just wants you to note that her husband's there too.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Juan Para, followed by uh Sean Waywatsky and Paula Vera.

Juan Para.

Oh sorry, sir.

Buenas noches.

So Juan Parra de Republic Dominicana.

Good evening.

My name is Juan Para.

I am here to talk on behalf of to support the center run by Jackie Agodello.

Siempre vamos a ese centro.

Necesitamos la ayuda de ustedes que va a socorrer a muchas personas que ween ayudados por ellos.

Many people like me who are orphans of help who have been asking for help go there to get resources.

We ask you to help us because there's many people like me who depend on that center to be open and to be given support.

We want everyone who's able to pick up our tears to help us to please help us.

Do you really want a development plan where most units are not affordable?

During the presentation earlier tonight, it was mentioned how flexible newer shells affordable housing model is.

When you actually look at the rents being charged in the newer shell average income, you see that over 96% of the new units are unaffordable for the average newer shell resident.

Do you really want a development plan where 56% of the new units are in a small 600 foot radius section of the city?

Now to their credit, the development department has acknowledged the density in that area, and they have included a moratorium on further residential development in that section.

But the important thing to call out is that this proposed moratorium has carve outs, which will allow for two projects and 1200 units to be continue to be constructed in that area.

For reference, that area has three 3200 units completed.

So adding additional 1200 units on top of that is a 38% increase in density.

And finally, do you really want a development plan that pushes a high-rise project like 570 Main Street before the planning board in two weeks?

That's a project that required all kinds of convoluted unit transfers to even reach this point.

Hi, I'm Paula Vera.

I've been residing in Yoroshell for 25 years.

I've been a volunteer for United Community Center Westchester.

I am here in support for United Westchester United Community Center Westchester.

Um there's here people who are up in the panel like um who are Latino and who also have also celebrated us, our heritage every year we get celebrated.

So we don't understand why now that we are coming here to get the support to open a center that has helped the Latino community, it is not being happened.

She says, and yes, you guys already know the services the United Community Center of Westchester has offered.

You know the services, you know how many people they support.

Right now they are working remotely and they're doing their best at it, but they don't get to cover as much as population as they used to when they used to have a center.

Simplemente para llegar, simplemente para que lo escuchen, simplemente para que lo appoy.

And in this time where it's cold frigid, where people simply go to get a plate of food, a warm plate of meal to go to warm up, a place to stay, simply a place where they can go and be heard.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Celia Resendiz, followed by Jesus Gonzalez and then Marisela Gonzalez.

So let's pido the favor that nos ayuden a que se abra.

Gracias.

So Celia Sheer, she's been living here in Euroshell for over 32 years.

She's been volunteering for the food distribution in United Community Center of Westchester.

She says, although they're trying their best to support people, they've been outside in their vans while people are gathered, lined up to be seen inside a car.

That's how much is the need in this community that they're lining up in the frigid cold to be seen.

She said if we had a center back, we would have more capacity and it will be better for the community.

So she's asking to open to help open the center back to get it back.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jesus Gonzalez.

Followed by Marisela Gonzalez, followed by Daniel Rodriguez.

If you'd like to speak, please fill out the white card.

Okay, man.

You vivo in aca in your rochel, 50 clos in unjust on the I de Nueva Pisos.

Not a señora Jacqueline nos ayuda muchísimo.

Ayuda Centro.

La Signora Jacqueline and we lindo.

Nos ayuda.

Señora Man is usita, senora Nosalvida, Signorita Mamilla.

I nos ayuda mucho.

Gracias.

She wants to share she's been living in Euroshell for 55 years.

And she has gone to UCCW for 25 years to get services.

She's now 81 years old.

She said the staff is very warm, and every time she needs to go back to the doctors, they're the ones reminding her.

She says, what is gonna happen to us?

She said, Mother of God, what is gonna happen to us if if UCCW is gone?

She's she's literally telling you, she's crying her soul out.

Please help us.

This is the place, this is the people who are helping us.

Jackie deserves a prize.

She's here imploring to do something for her.

At 81, she cannot be going to Port Chester.

She says sometimes they won't even let her get on the bus with the walker.

She shouldn't have to be going to other cities.

So there's a big need for UCCW to come back.

And she thinks you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, gracias.

Our next speaker is Marisela Gonzalez, followed by Daniel Rodriguez, and then Abora Condenas Cartenas.

My name is Marisela Gonzalez, Vivo in the 18th May Street.

So Marisela is tearing that she lives here in New York Show.

Her daughter is one of the volunteers at UCCW.

She says the center not only supports elder also youth.

She says her daughter goes and volunteers and tries to help out the community.

She said the importance of UCCW to be open, especially when they have to renew for their health insurance for any type of insurances.

She's here asking you to help to support the center to get back.

Thank you, Marisela.

Good evening.

First of all, I want to say I'm very grateful to the United Community and everything for the young people in our community, as you can see for from the Wester County.

The United Community located at the 36 North Avenue in Europe is a place where you can find support, opportunities to grow.

Without any without nothing of knowledge of the English, so now speaking to you.

And then Mario Acuna.

Desde my point of vista, emotional.

El Centro tiene muchas programas that tratables, not delivery so that ella misma busca y encuentre los recursos para salir adelante.

In this caso, yo soy professor of danza.

La señora Jackie Audello me dio la opportunity to voluntariamente in the center and format, don't they live in nationalities?

Yo soy Peruana, but I'm taking in the group person who are de Pakistan, the Mexico, the Colombia, the different cities.

El centro no is una ayuda.

Gracias a la pollo de la Señora Jackie de todos los que forman parte del Centro.

Gracias.

I'm gonna go real quickly.

Aurora shared that she in the center basically they had found a solution.

She's not gonna talk about problems.

She's gonna talk about solutions.

That center has helped women become empowered.

Herself, she's a dance teacher.

She found an opportunity as a volunteer to teach dance to young people.

She says she has experienced young people coming into the center with low self-esteem.

But dance and art is a way for young adults and young children to lift their spirits up.

She says, you know that art.

It's cost.

It's expensive.

And over there she's able to provide.

They're able to provide it to the community.

So she said, why not invest?

Why doesn't this city invest in an organization that it's uplifting?

That's making change, creating empowering not only women but youth.

She said it's important that you see that that the people who come to UCCW, they're family, they help each other out.

Why not put effort into something that's helping the community?

That's actually causing less violence outside in the whole city of New Rochelle because it benefits the whole city that there's no violence, that there's places where youth could go to get art to get all the programs.

So she is here to say support that center because that is a family center.

It's the heart of New Rochelle.

Thank you.

Our last speaker is Mario Akuna.

My name is Mario Kispeacuna, so I'm professor universitary in Peru.

I think 10 years of New Rochelle.

Evidently for my part of the Central Community.

So I'm professor of computation in many gratuita, pero no estamos de este centro community.

My name is Mario, I've been residing in New York Show.

I am a volunteer.

I'm a computer technician who has been giving and providing services for free in the community center.

But we need the accessories.

We need them to come back so he could be able to give those classes back.

Evidentemente quiero este momento para solicitarle appoying a centro community in the reconstruction in the repertura.

She he is here to let you guys know to support, to invest in the center, because it's obviously helping in the community of New Rochelle.

I've been reciting here for 10 years, and we thank you.

I thank you for listening to me to taking taking your time to listen to me.

Thank you.

Can I just say something?

Of course, yes, of course.

I've been translating.

No, I know, of course.

Okay, so my name's Diana.

I'm actually now the executive director of a community center in Yonkers.

All right.

So I know how hard it is to run a center.

It's a lot of money, I get it.

But the outcome of the community that's getting all the support.

She doesn't even distinguish if they're Spanish, Latino.

We had West African before.

We have other people from other other countries.

She doesn't go by status.

She doesn't discriminate no gender no race, sexual orientation.

She's there.

That center has been a big pillar of this community.

I I used to work in Mamarinic.

And when this happened, we had people telling us that it was so hard to be waiting online.

And it's really hard because for them to be traveling, it's exhausting.

And older elder people.

I I've got into see the work that Jackie does with the day labors.

I've got into see with the domestic violence uh women who go there.

She's told me remarkable stories, especially of domestic violence women that she's helped, even has helped them get um uh housing for them.

So she's doing this for the whole community.

This is the only center you guys have right now that is helping community that's in the heart of New Rochelle.

Like the lady said, why don't we invest in a center that is productive is giving productivity?

It's not only giving it to elders and to to adults to youth.

Think about your youth.

We had a young member come who's a young adult.

He said, I'm from Venezuela, and I came and I learned English, and now I'm working.

This is an opportunity.

Yes, people work and learn and they contribute and give back to the to the country and to the government.

So this is your moment here to make that decision.

And let's be real, with this administration coming, it's gonna be a disaster.

People are not gonna have nowhere to go and get help.

Are you guys ready for that?

If you guys don't have a center who knows the community, who's not there, where are they gonna go?

To you guys, do you really want that on yourselves?

Or do you want to have a support there who could help you get to the community?

Think about that.

Invest in an organization that has been here for decades that doesn't just come and go.

This is a community center and a person who the community feels as their family.

This is a person of a community that's been here for years, fighting with your support and without your support.

But this is your time to show the community that you actually care about the community.

This is your time.

It's not even about UCCW anymore, it's about the community need.

That lady who's 81 years old, crying imploring to you.

I freaking was about to start crying to translate.

81 year old grandma shouldn't be here telling you she needs help.

So I hope you take that and you guys decide to help the whole community because this center doesn't just benefit one population, it benefits the whole entire community from New Rochelle.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Diana was our last the white card and just give it to Miss Mary Lyor.

Diana was our last uh registered speaker.

We do thank everyone for coming out tonight.

We do not respond in these meetings, but we have heard you um and will work with our staff to help support no response a look, but