Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella will publicly oppose any policy to redevelop CUNY campuses for affordable housing at a press conference at the Victory Boulevard Entrance of the College of Staten Island on Wednesday, February 18th at 11:15 AM.
The press conference comes on the heels of a report recently issued by the nonprofit think tank, Center for an Urban Future, which proposes using unused or open space on CUNY campuses to build affordable housing, and urges the City to adopt this policy. The College of Staten Island is highlighted as one such school with enough available space to build “multiple five-acre developments”.
If the City were to pursue this policy, and build affordable housing on the CSI campus, it would inappropriately add a residential population to a space which lacks parking, public transit access, and the amenities and infrastructure needed to support public living. On the matter of parking alone, CSI only has roughly 2,600 parking spots available to service its 11,000 students, as well as its staff and attendees of its events.
Any policy to develop affordable housing at CSI would be irrespective of the lack of parking, public amenities, and the significant consequences such development would have on the education and student experience at CSI and other CUNY schools.
This policy proposal also comes in the era of the City of Yes, which is allowing higher-density developments to be built across Staten Island. Furthermore, the City is actively exploring utilizing and redeveloping public property into affordable housing.
The Borough President will issue a public condemnation of this incongruent policy proposal, in the interest of respecting the needs of our CUNY students and maintaining the low-density character of our Borough.
Banner Image: BP Fossella at press conference in front of College of Staten Island. Image Credit – BP Fossella
The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government.
The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities.
In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough.
As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses.
The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.
[…] well as children, one in eighteen of whom on the island lacks stable housing. Additionally, the borough president spoke out about the plans to put a homeless shelter on the campus of the College of Staten Island, which would likely have detrimental effects on […]
The College of Staten Island is located on STATE property. City government has no jurisdiction or authority.
[…] well as children, one in eighteen of whom on the island lacks stable housing. Additionally, the borough president spoke out about the plans to put a homeless shelter on the campus of the College of Staten Island, which would likely have detrimental effects on […]