OPINION: New York City Can’t Keep Adding Development Without Concomitant Infrastructure – CM Wong

WONG: CITY CANNOT KEEP ADDING DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT A PLAN FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS IT

New City housing strategy sets five-year goal of 5,260 new homes for Queens CB5; Wong says schools, sewers, parks, parking, services and local input cannot be an afterthought

Editor’s note: This Council Member recently helped form a group of concerned residents pushing back against the proposals discussed below.  We previously covered the Mayor’s tour of future housing developments expected to be built under the new recently approved zoning changes and upgrades.  These include several developments on the island, including the expanded bus lanes on Victory Blvd, among others. So far, fast buses on Staten Island aren’t a thing, though some residents say they are needed. 

Maspeth, NY — Council Member Phil Wong (D-Queens) today raised concerns over the City’s draft Fair Housing Growth Strategy, which estimates New York City needs approximately 700,000 additional homes over the next decade and establishes five-year housing production goals for every community district. 

For Queens Community Board 5, covering Ridgewood, Maspeth and Middle Village, the City sets a five-year goal of 5,260 new homes, including 1,315 designated affordable homes. Community Board 4, which includes Elmhurst and Corona, is assigned 4,795, while Community Board 6, covering Forest Hills and Rego Park, is assigned 6,405. Council District 30 includes CB5 and portions of CB4 and CB6. 

“The answer from government always seems to be build more, build faster and make it easier to build,” said Wong. “But housing does not exist in a vacuum. Where are the same plans and urgency for sewer capacity, school seats, parks, sanitation, traffic, parking and the basic services people already rely on? You cannot keep adding density and expect everything around it to somehow take care of itself.”

Wong also noted that building more by itself does not guarantee affordability. In CB5, only 1,315 of the 5,260 homes included in the City’s five-year target are designated affordable.

The strategy was required under Local Law 167 of 2023, enacted before Wong took office. While its community district targets are currently non-binding, the report is intended to guide how housing growth is distributed citywide and specifically calls for more production in communities that have historically seen less growth.

Wong said residents also need to view the report alongside City of Yes, the ongoing fight over a lithium-ion battery storage facility across from PS/IS 128 in Middle Village, changes to the City’s land-use process and the MTA’s Interborough Express, which is currently undergoing environmental review and design. 

“Our neighborhoods are not blank canvases,” added Wong. “There may be places where development makes sense, but that discussion needs to include the residents who live there, our civic associations, Community Boards and local elected officials. If the City wants growth, then infrastructure, services and quality of life have to grow with it.”

The draft was open for public comment through September 19, with virtual public briefings scheduled for August 26 and September 2. 

Banner Image: CM Wong at Liberty Ave Homeowners Assn block party.  Image Credit – CM Wong