Inwood Community Assembles for Open House Addressing Concerns Over Rezoning Plan

INWOOD, NY — The New York City Economic Development Corporation invited Inwood residents to learn about a proposed plan to rezone the neighborhood during an open house Thursday night. And unlike a raucous Community Board 12 meeting last week, the conversation did not break out into a shouting match.

Hundreds of community members flocked to the Manhattan Bible Church to learn more about the Inwood NYC Neighborhood Plan, a project headed by the EDC in coordination with several different city agencies, such as the Housing Preservation and Development Department and the Parks Department among others. Representatives from the EDC, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez's office, Community Board 12, Borough President Gale Brewer's office and the Inwood NYC Stakeholder Working Group were at the meeting to listen to resident's questions and complaints.

The initiative has three main goals — to protect and expand affordable housing, expand economic opportunities and improve neighborhood livability, according to an EDC pamphlet. The plan calls for rezoning three distinct portions of Inwood, Sherman Creek, the Upland Wedge and the Tip of Manhattan to achieve these goals.

Detractors that essentially shut down the conversation at last week's CB 12 were again out in force. They gathered in front of the doors of the Manhattan Bible Church as the open house began, handing out flyers, and they remained until the event was over. But unlike last week, the conversation at the open house remained, for the most part, calm.

The opponents of the neighborhood plan raised many of the same concerns as they did during the community board meeting — namely the fact that the affordable housing portion of the plan would not adequately protect long-time residents from displacement and that increased development in the area would strain its aging infrastructure and cause hyper gentrification in the neighborhood.

But representatives from the EDC said that even though change can be scary, inaction is worse.

"New York City, including Inwood, is facing a real and unprecedented housing crisis. The city's position is that the status quo is not a solution; we need to be proactive," said Cecilia Kushner, senior vice president of development at the EDC. "We have several ways to address this crisis, including protecting Inwood tenants, building more housing and requiring all new development to provide permanently affordable apartments through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing."

But many detractors did not budge. Clay Smith, who spoke out against the plan at last week's meeting, described the open house as "mushy." Smith said that he didn't see any useful information about the plan being presented and that he talked with several other people who felt the same way.

"I don't think the planners are being fully honest," Smith said. "But I don't entirely blame them because it's part of a bigger deal between the mayor and developers."

Still, the conversation during the open house was more productive and level-headed.

And there were many Inwood residents who showed up to the open house without hard-line opposition in mind.

One such resident, Cole Thompson, said he was more "confused and bewildered" than outraged. Thompson said that he understands why people don't want change in the neighborhood, but that he knew it was bound to happen.

"I don't know how this neighborhood got skipped over so many times before," Thompson said. "It's going to be interesting, everyone is going to have to accept there will be some sort of development."

Thompson said the affordable housing plan raised causes of concern for him, but that it would be nice for the neighborhood to become more business-friendly and to have greater access to the waterfront.

Another resident, Obed Fulcar of the Friends of Sherman Creek Conservancy, said he also liked the plan because of its goal of developing the waterfront.

"We are surrounded by water but have no access," Fulcar said.

Fulcar, an avid kayaker, said it would be nice to take his boat out on the river rather than keep it stowed away in his home. He was at the meeting because he wanted to advocate for the construction of a public boathouse on the Harlem River.

Kushner, the senior vice president of development at the EDC, said that the next step for the EDC is to begin translating the plan into action. Kushner said the EDC will move to complete a full environmental review for the plan in August or September, after which the EDC and its partner agencies would begin to put together a draft scope and eventually release a complete version of the neighborhood plan sometime in the fall. But just because the EDC is taking action on the future steps of the plan doesn't mean the community input portion is over. Residents will be able to attend a public scoping hearing in the fall and Community Board 12 will continue to oversee aspects of the plan throughout the certification process.

"We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the Inwood community to develop solutions and invest in infrastructure so that Inwood remains an affordable and vibrant neighborhood for generations to come," Kushner said.

[Photo: New York City Economic Development Corporation]