FEBRUARY 27, 2023

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ACT TODAY  SAVE OUR COMMUNITIES

 

On Friday, February 24, the Douglaston Civic Association hosted at the Douglaston Club a press event to stop Gov. Hochul’s “Affordable Housing” plan to end one family home in New York state and Mayor Adams plan to suspend the city zoning and building codes and fire egress rules.  We had 200 people attend our rally and unfortunately 60 people had to wait in the lobby due to the Fire Code.  We apologize to them, but the overflow crowd demonstrated our strength. In attendance we had representatives from northeast Queens, central Queens, southeast Queens, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Staten Island, and many other jurisdiction that have joined our voice to stop this real estate give away.

 

At our monthly DCA meeting on Tuesday, February 21, an overflow crowd heard our representatives Senator Toby Stavisky, Assemblyman Braunstein, Councilwoman Paladino call on the Governor to remove her “Affordable Housing” plan from the state budget.  

 

Time is of the essence. Write, Email, Call Now your elected representatives, the Governor, and Mayor tell them if this “Affordable Housing” plan remains in the budget, I will not vote for you!  Click here for a sample letter.

 

See also Save1Familyny.org web site. Sign the petition at Change.org:

www.Change.Org/StopNYS2023Upzoning

 

To oppose the Assembly Bill (A1075) click here:

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/A1075 

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To oppose the Senate Bill (S2276) click here: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/s2276

 

On the right side of both websites is a box where you can indicate whether or not you support the legislation.  We recommend you click on "NAY" to record your opposition. Please read very carefully the voting instructions to be sure your vote is IN OPPOSITION to these bills.  They have changed the meaning of AYE and NAY.

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MARCH 4, 2023

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DCA Vice President Dennis Saffran recently penned an opinion piece to Real Clear Policy titled: "Hochul Renews Assault on the Suburbs" regarding Governor Kathy Hochul's radical proposal to override local single-family zoning in neighborhoods like Douglaston.

As Dennis notes, sophisticates have long sneered at the suburbs and outer boroughs as filled with “little boxes made of ticky-tacky” -- contemptuous of the American dream of the middle-class and working-class people progressives once championed.  Now Hochul, responsive to these elitists in her base and to big developers, wants to make the burbs and boroughs look like Manhattan.

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Click here to read entire article.

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FEBRUARY 23, 2023

 

NYC is poised to enact steep congestion pricing tolls for cars and trucks, unless critics can kill the plan first.

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Click here to read about their plans in more detail and what it means to you.

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FEBRUARY 16, 2023

 

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Media Advisory For Immediate Release

 

Contact: Paul Graziano (718) 309-7522

Save1 Family NewYork@gmail.com

 

Who:

S.A.V.E. 1-FAMILY New York (the Statewide Alliance Vs. Elimination of 1-Family Zoning in New York)

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What:

A major press event with our coalition members and allies in opposition to Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed land use bills, currently inserted into the New York State Budget.

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Where:

The Douglaston Club 600 West Drive, Douglaston, NY 11363

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When:

Friday, February 24th, 2023 at 5pm

 

Summary:

For the second year in a row, Governor Hochul is attempting to impose mandates that force all cities, towns and villages throughout New York State to make enormous – and untenable – increases in housing density along with the lowering of construction and building safety standards. The Governor would achieve this through an extensive list of proposals, including but not limited to: - Mandatory development cycles / housing unit targets - State government oversight and removal of home rule in the zoning and land use process - Staggering increases in density to areas within ½ mile of rail and subway stations - Blanket Amnesty for Illegal Conversions in New York City regardless of safety concerns - Relaxation of the Multiple Dwelling Law and its construction and safety standards - Property Tax Exemptions for the creation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Should these proposals become law, the resulting development free-for-all will cannibalize all of our communities, lowering our quality of life and affecting property values. Finally, none of the Governor’s proposals will create any increase in affordable housing; instead, it will increase unaffordability in our housing stock.

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE DOUGLASTON CIVIC ASSOCIATION - SEAN WALSH

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Dear Friends and Colleagues, Civic and Homeowner Associations –

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As many of you already are aware, for the 2nd year in a row Governor Hochul inserted a number of poisonous housing bills into the state budget bill on February 1st of this year, described by her as a “Housing Compact” for New York.

If adopted, these bills will have a disastrous impact on our communities. This includes but is not limited to:

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     -     Mandatory massive upzonings within ½ mile of rail

           and subway stations

     -     Mandatory numbers of housing units on perpetual

           3-year development cycles

     -     New State Housing Board which will approve multi-

           family housing anywhere

     -     Subsequent Removal of Home Rule in violation of the

           NY State Constitution

     -     Blanket Amnesty for all Illegal Conversions in New

           York City

     -     Property Tax Exemptions for developers who create

           Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

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We have 30 days from when this was inserted into the budget to get the Governor to pull it out of the budget bill willingly, which gives us until March 2nd – otherwise, it will be adopted by April 1st if the Legislature does not intervene.

 

As representatives of our collective neighborhoods, towns and villages, we need to respond to this immediately.

 

We will be having a press event on Friday February 24th, 2023, 5pm, at the Douglaston Club located at 600 West Drive, Douglaston, NY 11363 (see attached press release).

 

The press event is an invitation-event for press, civic and homeowner associations, community boards and concerned citizens. Elected officials who have publicly stated their opposition to the Governor’s “Housing Compact” Plan will be invited to attend. We will acknowledge them if they write a press release or statement on official letterhead that they unilaterally OPPOSE the “Housing Compact” set of bills (particularly the items mentioned above) and if they are State Senators or Assembly members, that they will vote against the budget if they are not removed. Civic and Homeowner association leadership (and Community Boards who have stated their opposition) will also be invited to participate in the event as we want the public and the press to understand how your areas will be affected if this legislation becomes law.

 

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP no later than Wednesday, February 22nd to either paulgraziano2013@gmail.com or Save1familyNewYork@gmail.com – Please include your official position against the Governor’s “Housing Compact” plan.

 

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sean M Walsh, President Douglaston Civic Association

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The below link is the Governor’s legislative package to essentially end one family homes in NY state.  The proposal is contained in the state budget.  We have only a few weeks to get the Assembly and State Senate and Governor to remove this from the budget.  Furthermore we oppose the Mayor’s separate set of proposals to weaken one family zones. 

https://www.budget.ny.gov/pubs/archive/fy24/ex/artvii/elfa-bill.pdf#page=140

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