Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 11 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions
The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions, chaired by Council Member Christopher Marte, held a public hearing on the Walk to a Park site selection ULURP application for Queens Community District 2. NYC Parks Chief of Parklands and Real Estate Colleen Alderson presented the application, which would authorize the City to acquire up to 37 privately owned sites (7 primary vacant sites and 30 secondary built-upon sites) over a 10-year sunset period, contingent on willing sellers. Marte asked questions on his own behalf and on behalf of Council Member Julie Won, covering acquisition timelines, funding, and open-space inequities in Sunnyside and Woodside. Won testified remotely, expressing support for the initiative while raising concerns about the depth of the district's park deficit. With no further public testimony, the public hearing was closed and the item was laid over.
0:03 Will the zoom hosts, pleas
0:03 estart the webinar. Oh, when I
0:13 started. Good morning. Welcome
0:14 states New York City Council
0:16 hearing for the committee on
0:18 landmarks, public sightings,
0:19 resiliency in position at this
0:20 time the science also
0:22 electronic devices moving
0:23 forward. No one is to approach
0:25 today's sherry marts are ready
0:30 to begin good morning and
0:30 welcome to the meeting of the
0:31 subcommittee on landmarks.
0:33 Public sighting, resiliency,
0:35 desperate dispositions. I am
0:36 Council Member Christopher
0:37 martin. I am. I'm the chair,
0:38 the subcommittee. I'm joined
0:39 today by my colleagues
0:41 ,Council Member Thomas Henry,
0:42 who is with us virtually
0:44 before he begins today's
0:46 agenda remind everyone that
0:46 this meeting is being held in
0:48 a hybrid format for members of
0:49 the public who wish to testify
0:51 remotely. We ask that you
0:53 first register online and you
0:54 do so now. Bye visiting ww dot
0:57 countered dot twice si dot
0:59 slash land use to sign up and
1:01 then sign into the zoom and
1:02 remain signed it until you
1:06 have testified. We also have
1:08 council Hanks, who's online
1:09 and we've been joined in a
1:11 person by Council Member jose
1:15 for anyone with us today in
1:16 person in which to testify. If
1:17 you have not already done, so
1:19 please see one of the
1:20 sergeants to fill out a
1:22 speaker card and we'll call
1:23 your name at the appropriate
1:25 time for anyone wishing t
1:25 osubmit written testimony on
1:27 the items being heard today
1:28 .we asked that you please send
1:31 it by email to the testimony
1:33 accounts with that that
1:35 including the, uh number and
1:37 or project name in the subject
1:38 line of your email, video and
1:41 audio testimonies will not be
1:43 accepted, I remind, I remind
1:45 members of the public that
1:45 this is a government of
1:47 proceeding and that decorum
1:48 shall be observed all all
1:51 times as such, members of the
1:52 public shall remain silent
1:53 unless and until called to
1:56 testify. The witness table is
1:57 reserved for people wish to
1:59 testify.
1:59 No video recording our
2:00 photography is allowed from
2:01 the witness table further
2:03 members of the public not
2:04 present audio video recording
2:07 as testimony, but submit test
2:10 transcript of such recordings
2:10 to the sergeant for inclusion
2:11 in the hearing record. I am
2:15 now open a public hearing on
2:17 al you 100 four for queens to
2:21 walk to park site selection an
2:23 application by department o
2:24 fparks and recreation for
2:26 approval of City acquisition
2:27 and site selection of 2
2:30 1privately owned site for a
2:31 future park development I
2:32 nqueens community district two.
2:36 This proposal seeks to create
2:36 a New parkland and two
2:39 increase access to open spy
2:40 use resources for the
2:41 neighborhoods of long island
2:43 cities on decide what side
2:45 plus Phil and west maspeth,
2:47 located at a one and krishna's
2:51 district, appearing today on
2:52 the panel are colleen alderson
2:55 , gabriella capo and julia
2:57 dowling. Those wish to testify
2:59 . Remote. You must register
2:59 online by visiting the council
3:01 website at council that slash
3:05 land juice. Panelists please
3:06 ensure that your microphone is
3:07 on counsel, would you please
3:08 administer the affirmation
3:13 . From panelists. Could you
3:13 please raise your right hand
3:14 and state your name for the
3:18 record. Gabriella kapo, julia
3:21 darling, colleen alderson, do
3:21 you affirm to tell the truth,
3:22 the whole truth and nothing
3:23 but the truth in your
3:24 testimony before the
3:26 subcommittee
3:26 . In an answer to all counsel
3:27 other questions I do. I do, I
3:34 do. You now begin your
3:35 testimony, which is limited t
3:36 o10 minutes and you shoul
3:37 dstart to conclude your
3:39 presence after eight minutes
3:39 when you begin your
3:41 presentation, please restate
3:42 your name and organization,
3:44 you now begin. Hello. Good
3:47 morning. My name is colleen
3:49 elderson, chief of parklands
3:50 and real estate for New York
3:52 City parks. Um, we're happy t
3:54 obe here to present this you of
3:55 an application before the
3:58 committee. Um, we're here t
3:59 opresent of the neighborhood
4:00 walked to a park application
4:04 covering queens community
4:06 district on next slide. Um,
4:12 this is a map showing the gap
4:14 areas in terms of people
4:16 residents that live, not
4:18 walking distance to a public
4:20 open space and that is the
4:22 purpose of this application to
4:24 close those gaps for the
4:25 applicants for this euler
4:27 application, along with the
4:28 New York City parks department
4:30 , the co application co
4:31 applicant is also the New York
4:32 City department of citywide
4:36 administrative services as
4:36 they play a role in the
4:37 acquisition process process
4:39 again. Our goal is to increase
4:42 the flexibility in likelihood
4:43 of potential New park sites in
4:44 an underserved district next
4:51 slide. Um, you all are aware
4:52 of this, but urban parks are
4:54 very important to the city's
4:57 urban population they have
5:00 multifaceted benefits respect
5:03 for residents. It also
5:04 provides for physical and
5:06 mental health benefits. New
5:08 York City parks are also have
5:12 many environmental benefits
5:13 they help with storm water
5:15 capture. They also aid in the
5:17 preservation of the city's
5:18 treat canopy and provide
5:20 opportunities for New trees
5:22 and they also, um, for the
5:25 mental health and well being
5:27 of the residents. Um they also
5:29 provide spaces for community
5:33 cohesion, and we also kno
5:34 wthat proximity to public open
5:36 spaces is key for residents
5:38 getting the benefits out of
5:40 these spaces next slide.
5:45 Um, this is one part of our
5:46 effort to increase the amount
5:48 of public open space and
5:50 underserved areas. This is our
5:51 walk to a park in there are
5:54 other ways that we tried t
5:54 oclose the walk. We work with
5:58 the department of education t
5:59 rschool yards last year. We
6:07 also have worked over recent
6:08 years with the New York City
6:10 housing authority to focus on
6:13 edge open space properties s
6:13 othat they can be open to the
6:16 public serving gap areas and
6:19 also providing enhanced and
6:20 improved amenities for the
6:21 nitgh your residents next, sy,
6:26 um, that being said, we face
6:28 many challenges to acquiring
6:30 private open space to create
6:32 New urban parks, there's
6:34 limited bacon available land
6:36 and the property owners are
6:38 usually typically not if wait
6:41 the duration for the euler
6:42 process to proceed through.
6:43 It's important course and so
6:47 therefore we've envisioned a
6:49 New idea to get the you'll
6:51 approval in hand for an
6:53 underserved district and so
6:55 the u processes in place so
6:56 that if there is an
6:58 opportunity for a given piece
6:59 of property and willing seller
7:01 we're past the u face and can
7:03 immediately work on the
7:06 acquisition part of the
7:07 process too. Realize a New
7:10 park, and I'll just say that,
7:11 you know, for the walk to park
7:12 gap. We currently are almost
7:14 at 85% of New York City
7:17 residents served, which sounds
7:18 pretty good, but there's still
7:21 over a million people that are
7:23 unserved, such as about 26000
7:26 people in community district
7:29 two in queens
7:29 , um, so the next slide? Um,
7:32 so we believe this New idea to
7:35 have a euler selecting you
7:37 given given amount of private
7:39 property will give the City an
7:41 opportunity to realize New
7:43 parks should there be a
7:46 willing seller. So we also
7:47 believe this will create
7:48 awareness to property owners
7:49 that worked the city's
7:52 interested in pursuing a New
7:53 public park site and with this
7:54 as I said with the lip
7:57 approval in hands. It's easier
7:58 for the City to work more
8:00 efficiently and carry out the
8:03 acquisition process. Next
8:06 slide. The next set of slides
8:07 are about the criteria in
8:08 which we selected the
8:10 properties and the districts
8:12 in need for we looked citywid
8:14 e, applying the same criteria
8:16 to community districts looking
8:17 at the density of unserved in
8:20 a given community district. We
8:21 also looked at the open space
8:23 ratio, the amount of open
8:24 space per thousand residents
8:27 ,and we also looked at the
8:28 poverty rate to select 19
8:30 districts across this City
8:32 that met this criteria late
8:34 last year, the two first
8:37 mueller applications were
8:39 approved brooklyn community
8:40 district five and queens
8:41 community district three, an
8:43 dwe're currently with queens
8:44 community district with this
8:47 application the next slide,
8:50 just some more context on
8:51 queens community district to
8:52 as you all are aware there was
8:55 recently the neighbooodrh plan
8:56 the rezoning for long island
8:58 City there has been a lot of
9:00 development and long island
9:01 City over recent years and
9:02 with the rezoning plan. There
9:04 will be additional New housing
9:06 units and there are we know
9:08 facets of that plan that will
9:11 realize improved and
9:12 accessible open space. Um, but
9:15 that being said there's still
9:16 a dearth of open space across
9:20 the district. Um, so and we
9:22 also engagement with the
9:23 community board. They also are
9:25 aware that there are vast
9:27 needs across the district that
9:28 we want to work with them to
9:29 try to close that walk gap
9:35 next slide
9:35 . This is just some basics
9:37 about queens community
9:38 district to the pink areas are
9:40 those unserved areas in the
9:41 district. It's a very dense
9:43 community district as you're
9:45 aware, um, and we know that
9:47 the population is greatly
9:48 increased over the past 2
9:48 0years or so there's a very
9:51 little open space to open
9:53 space ratios point 3 8. It's
9:54 one of the lowest ones we see
9:56 across the City and again
9:58 they're about 26000 residents
10:00 that are not in walking
10:01 distance of a park so they
10:02 don't get to realize how that
10:04 benefits that I spoke about
10:07 the beginning. Next, sly the
10:09 primary sites. The criteria
10:10 there. The vacant sites again
10:12 .these are all privately owned
10:13 sites. At least 5000 square
10:16 feet, no active permits from
10:18 our check. Um, for development
10:20 of the sights and that we
10:22 checked them for suitability
10:24 for park development next
10:28 slide.
10:28 Shows seven sites in the
10:29 community district that not
10:31 this criteria this shows the
10:33 location of those sites next
10:37 side because
10:37 . There were not of sites that
10:39 met that criteria we have
10:41 secondary sites. These are
10:42 built upon sites, but we do
10:44 have some parameters for their
10:47 selection. We did not choose
10:48 any sites that currently are
10:50 developed as residential uses
10:51 they're built to 50% or less
10:54 of what? The zoning allows.
10:56 They also are at least again
11:00 5000 square feet, no active
11:03 permits and also criteria tha
11:05 tbuildings would have to have
11:06 not been built, would it have
11:09 to have been improved for some
11:11 time before the state of this
11:13 application next slide. This
11:16 map shows 30 sites that met
11:17 that creative area off the
11:19 district across the district
11:22 and one last next slide is
11:25 just a note that this
11:27 application has the sunset
11:28 clause, so should it be
11:30 approved. We have 10 years
11:32 with the acquisition approval
11:34 to carry out acquisitions. It
11:35 should there be willing
11:37 sellers after that time we
11:38 could do another. You look
11:40 refreshed the sites, but
11:41 hopefully in this time period
11:42 will give us an opportunity to
11:45 realize newarks p and
11:46 community district to and
11:48 that's that's the end of our
11:51 slides. Okay. Thank you for
11:52 the presentation I have a few
11:53 questions, and then I'm going
11:54 to ask a few questions from
11:55 the local Council Member come
11:59 to number one a first just to
12:01 reaffirm this to propose I
12:03 acquisition can only be
12:05 voluntary for the property
12:08 owners. Correct.
12:09 That is correct, we've
12:09 stated throughout the process
12:11 and before the City planning
12:12 commission that we're looking
12:14 for willing sellers. I also
12:16 should note that should the
12:17 criteria for the properties
12:18 change and not meet the
12:20 criteria is laid out there
12:22 ineligible for our ability t
12:23 oacquire the sites, but yes, we
12:25 are looking for willing
12:27 sellers and we see this as an
12:29 opportunity for a property
12:30 owner to just consider you
12:33 know another avenue, should
12:34 they be looking to change the
12:36 status of their property.
12:39 Do you have a target number
12:40 of acquisitions per year for
12:41 this community district over
12:42 the 10 year time horizon
12:46 . We don't you know we're not
12:47 sure what this will foretold.
12:49 But you know if this district
12:52 could see a handful of New
12:53 park sites. I think that would
12:55 be a success. The last park in
12:58 this community district with
12:58 hunter's point south a little
13:01 more than 10 years ago, so
13:02 ethink if we could if there are
13:10 willing sellers. I think that
13:13 would help tamped down on the
13:14 number I'm served in terms of
13:16 presidents, not within a walk
13:18 gap and also help on that very
13:20 low open space free that
13:22 exists in the district, so
13:23 there's.
13:24 No set number. We're not
13:26 sure which owners would be
13:29 interested. Um, but we do
13:30 believe this this application
13:31 will help in in the needs of
13:33 the community in terms of
13:35 public open space. Thank.
13:36 You. I also want to note
13:38 that we've been joined by
13:39 accounts number one who's
13:40 online as well. Um if for some
13:43 reason very few selected sites
13:45 are able to be acquired within
13:47 10 years, is there a plan t
13:51 ocontinue to extend potentially
13:53 the mountain of years force
13:55 New site selections or what
13:57 ?what's your plan and what have
13:58 you done in the
13:59 . Past what we know with our
14:01 engagement with the community
14:02 board that they are, you know,
14:04 very interested in seeing New
14:06 public open space, we would
14:07 have to do a New killer
14:09 application and working with
14:11 City planning we could refresh
14:12 the sights. Look for New
14:16 opportunities, you know?