SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

INWOOD NYC
#InwoodNYC
VISIT WWW.NYCEDC.COM/INWOODNYC
EMAIL [email protected]
PLANNING INITIATIVE
HOW IS THE CITY ENGAGING THE INWOOD COMMUNITY?
INFORMATION GATHERING &
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Meetings &
interviews with
local community
groups
Fall
Public
Open
House
Stakeholder
workshops
Public
Planning
Workshops
IMPLEMENTATION
Winter
Public
Meeting
Environmental
Review (“EIS”)
Land Use Review &
Public Scoping (“ULURP”)
ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SPRING
2015
SUMMER
2015
FALL
2015
WINTER
2016
SPRING
2016
SUMMER
2016
FALL
2016
LA PRIMAVERA
2015
EL VERANO
2015
EL OTOÑO
2015
EL INVIERNO
2016
LA PRIMAVERA
2016
EL VERANO
2016
EL OTOÑO
2016
RECOPILACIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN Y
DE DISCUSIONES CON LA COMUNIDAD
DESARROLLO DEL
PLAN COMUNITARIO
Reuniones y
entrevistas
con grupos
comunitarios
locales
La Casa Talleres
Abierta Públicos de
Pública
del
Otoño
Talleres de
los grupos
interesados
IMPLEMENTACIÓN
Junta
Pública
del
Invierno
Revisión
Ambiental
(“EIS”)
Revisión Pública del Uso
del Suelo (“ULURP”)
OCTOBER 3, 2015 FALL OPEN HOUSE
INWOOD NYCOF
SUMMARY
#InwoodNYC
COMPROMISO PÚBLICO REGULAR
VISIT WWW.NYCEDC.COM/INWOODNYC
EMAIL [email protected]
PLANNING
¿CÓMO ESTÁINITIATIVE
LA CIUDAD INCLUYENDO LA COMUNIDAD DE INWOOD?
HOW IS THE CITY ENGAGING
THE INWOOD COMMUNITY?
COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK
INFORMATION GATHERING &
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Meetings &
interviews with
local community
groups
Fall
Public
Open
House
Stakeholder
workshops
Public
Planning
Workshops
IMPLEMENTATION
Winter
Public
Meeting
Environmental
Review (“EIS”)
Land Use Review &
Public Scoping (“ULURP”)
ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SPRING
2015
SUMMER
2015
FALL
2015
WINTER
2016
SPRING
2016
SUMMER
2016
FALL
2016
LA PRIMAVERA
2015
EL VERANO
2015
EL OTOÑO
2015
EL INVIERNO
2016
LA PRIMAVERA
2016
EL VERANO
2016
EL OTOÑO
2016
RECOPILACIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN Y
DE DISCUSIONES CON LA COMUNIDAD
DESARROLLO DEL
PLAN COMUNITARIO
Reuniones y
entrevistas
con grupos
comunitarios
locales
La Casa Talleres
Abierta Públicos de
Pública
del
Otoño
Talleres de
los grupos
interesados
IMPLEMENTACIÓN
Junta
Pública
del
Invierno
Revisión
Ambiental
(“EIS”)
Revisión Pública del Uso
del Suelo (“ULURP”)
COMPROMISO PÚBLICO REGULAR
¿CÓMO ESTÁ LA CIUDAD INCLUYENDO LA COMUNIDAD DE INWOOD?
OVERVIEW
On Saturday, October 3, over 250 people—including Inwood families and seniors, Community Board
12 members, and representatives of local nonprofits—joined city agencies, elected officials, and community
stakeholders at P.S. 5 Ellen Lurie and shared their ideas and perspectives about the neighborhood’s future. The
event began with opening remarks from Council Member Rodríguez, followed by NYCEDC President Maria TorresSpringer, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and Assembly Member Guillermo Linares.
After the welcoming remarks, community
members had the opportunity to participate in
interactive stations throughout the space where
representatives from each of the city agencies engaged
Inwood NYC is a neighborhood planning
in conversations in both English and Spanish. By the
study that aims to strengthen and build on
end of the event, hundreds of comments had been
Inwood’s considerable assets, while identifying new
collected and recorded. This report contains the public
opportunities to develop and preserve affordable
feedback from the interactive stations. Major themes
housing, connect residents to quality jobs, and build
from community participants at the various activities
a more resilient, livable, and equitable city. As the
and interactive discussions are summarized below.
lead on this project, the New York City Economic
These themes and participant ideas will be further
Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is coordinating
explored in a series of public planning workshops
a comprehensive public outreach process,
around the core topics throughout the Fall and Winter
grounded in the idea that inclusive neighborhood
of 2015-2016:
About Inwood NYC
planning should incorporate community goals and
priorities from the start. In partnership with New
York City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, the
Departments of City Planning, Housing Preservation
& Development, Parks, Small Business Services,
Transportation, Health & Mental Hygiene, and the
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, NYCEDC is
organizing a series of public planning workshops
and meetings to address the key issues in the
community and establish a framework for the future
of the neighborhood plan.
INTERACTIVE STATIONS
- Housing
- Jobs & Businesses
- Open Space & Waterfront
- Streets & Pedestrian Safety
- Health & Community Services
HOUSING
At the Housing station, the Department of Housing
Preservation and Development shared housing
data on Community District 12. Participants were
then asked a series of questions about existing
conditions and potential improvements.
What do you like about the housing in your neighborhood?
Participants enjoyed the “feeling of the community,” referring to both the communal nature of the neighborhood
and the distinct physical characteristics of the buildings. Affordability was suggested as a benefit of living in
Inwood, especially given the relatively large apartment sizes. As one person commented: “I love the low-rise
pre-war buildings, their charm and character. Big rooms, great neighbors, relatively safe.” Overall, diversity
was said to be an important characteristic of the neighborhood, which was a recurring theme in all of the public
feedback.
What issues or challenges do you have with the housing in your neighborhood?
Many of the responses to this question were about affordability, tenants’ rights, and quality of housing.
Affordable housing for a mixed-income community was a large concern. For instance, one respondent suggested
that qualification for rent subsidies should be based on net, not gross, income, while another commented about
the need for an historic district. Some of the tenants’ rights issues had to do with the concern over landlord
tactics to increase rents.
What would you like to see in the future?
To keep a solid base of middle-income families, participants
suggested more senior housing, co-ops, and affordable rental
housing similar to Mitchell-Lama developments, along with
multiple comments for a range of subsidized housing options.
Participants also highlighted contextual development, or, in
other words, new development that is consistent with the feel
and look of the existing neighborhood fabric.
“Continued respect for the
lovely architecture while
maintaining a true middleclass housing stock”
JOBS & BUSINESSES
At the Jobs & Businesses station,
representatives from the Department
of Small Business Services (SBS) shared
with Inwood residents their service
offerings and programs that assist New
Yorkers connect to good jobs, build
stronger businesses, and strengthen their
neighborhoods. In their activities, they
asked participants to share their thoughts
about the types of small businesses
Inwood needs in the near future and
broadly, about how to improve their
commercial corridors.
Participants of the activities
provided a long list of businesses in the
following categories: restaurants, retail,
hotels, grocery stores, family services,
SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW RETAIL
entertainment, and other. A desire for a
• Support the Inwood Holiday
• Organic Florist
wider variety of restaurants was evident,
Market and foster more
• Bookstore
as was the desire for quality grocers. In
merchant collaboration.
• Hardware Store
the family services and entertainment
• Wider variety of
• Gentlemen’s clothing
sections, respondents suggested programs
supermarket style choices.
• Variety of cultural retail
for youth and adults in the arts—jazz,
• No more chain banks or
stores and restaurants
film, and theatre—and sports. There
pharmacies
were also comments suggesting a need
for vocational, job training centers.
The map below shows some of the information gathered throughout the day regarding commercial corridor
needs. As noted, cleaner streets and additional sanitation was a common desire along with providing more public
space/place-making initiatives and storefront improvements at select locations.
OPEN SPACE & WATERFRONT
The Open Space & Waterfront
station consisted of activities
from the Department of
Parks and Recreation and the
Department of City Planning.
Maps were laid out on tables
and easels and community
members wrote, drew, and
placed color-coded stickers in
different areas throughout the
neighborhood.
Parks Improvements
Participants provided a wide range of ideas for parks improvements—everything from increasing the amount of
restrooms to ideas for the Eco dock. One of the major themes throughout was safety. For instance, lack of lighting in Inwood Hill Park, Fort Tryon Park, and Highbridge Park was a large concern. Other big issues were noise
pollution along Dyckman, trash and litter throughout all of the parks, and the desire to keep parks as a nature
preserve for families to enjoy.
How do you use the Harlem River waterfront? How do you get there?
Inwood community members walk, hike, bike, kayak, take photographs, bird watch, barbeque, explore, exercise,
mediate, and relax in the parks and along waterfront. Many participants commute to work along the waterfront
and stop to enjoy the nature and relax with friends and family. The waterfront is not easily accessible for all
residents, but most that do go to the waterfront get there by walking or biking, with the occasionally canoer/
kayaker.
How could the waterfront be improved? What would you like to see on the
Harlem River Waterfront?
Participants were interested in a range of improvements to the waterfront. There was interest in a more natural
environment for bird watching and ecological classes/programming; others were also interested in a more
built-out, developed waterfront with park concessions, pavilions, and infrastructure. Many fell somewhere in the
middle: keep the feel and look of nature, but provide accessible public spaces for people to enjoy the park as
they already do.
“More green space, educational
trails, storm surge infrastructure
(bioswales, street trees, green
streets, permeable pavement),
and public food gardens”
STREETS & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
At the Streets and Pedestrian
Safety station, the Department
of Transportation presented
on safer street design,
pedestrian space, and corridor
improvements.
Participants
provided specific feedback on
the map pictured here.
Participants focused on pedestrian safety, but there were many ideas for improving bike lanes and street
design for drivers. One comment, for instance, suggested constructing speed bumps on 9th Avenue between 203rd
and 206th streets to keep the road safer for parents picking up and dropping off kids from school; another
suggested making improvements to the traffic signal on West Fordham Road and Major Deegan Expressway to
reduce traffic congestion. The comments established a solid framework for problem intersections in Inwood.
Double parking was also a concern for participants. Areas on Nagle Avenue, Dyckman Street, Broadway,
and Isham Street were reported as having frequent double parking violations.
CHALLENGES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR 10TH AVENUE
• Design the street network to encourage north-bound traffic to use Broadway from
216th to 218th streets.
• Install pedestrian count down signals where possible in Inwood.
• Improve ped. safety at the intersection of 10th Ave. and Nagle Ave. at 204th St.
• No signal for pedestrians to cross, especially for students crossing to go to PS 5 (201
St./Academy).
• DOT should study the busy intersection of 207th Street and 10th Avenue. This
intersection under the elevated 1-train has many cars turning to and from the University
Heights Bridge one block away. DOT needs to redesign the street and signals for
pedestrian safety. Traffic agents needed as well.
HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES
At the Health and Community
Services stations, the Department
of Health and Mental Hygeine
and NYCEDC facilitated a series
of mapping, drawing, and writing
activities.
What creates health in Inwood?
Responses fell within three categories: physical improvements, programs, and behaviors. The suggestions for
physical improvements mostly had to do with the parks spaces. Access to parks and green spaces was generally
suggested, but more specific ideas—callisthenic equipment, climbing walls, gardens, ballfields, health food
stores—were also given. On the programs side, participants discussed outdoor family activities, mental health
services, wellness initiatives along the waterfront, Inter-generational Health education, business sustainability
efforts, and early childhood programs. As for behaviors, participants provided specific feedback for how we
can be healthier, including better eating habits, reducing smoking, and engaging in parks and wellness activities.
What Community Services does Inwood need?
Many of the comments centered around parks and waterfront access to accommodate dog walking, arts
programming, and sports/recreation. Below is a list of other great ideas that were compiled from the activity.
IDEAS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES
• Youth center
• Urban agriculture (Inwood Hill at
207th grass)
• Performing Arts Center
• Adult education / ESL
• Outdoor Movie theater
• A public swimming pool and swimming lessons for children (free)
• Community churches/more
church venue opportunities to
rent in schools
• Art school for underprivileged
kids
• Protected bike lanes (Seaman
Dyckman)
• New police precinct (35th)
• Ferry service from Palisades
to Inwood for people to use
park and bikers
• Solar panels and Green roofs
• LGBT – serving needed
• Protect at-risk senior centers
and child care centers at the
end of their 20 year leases.
INWOOD NYC
PLANNING INITIATIVE
#InwoodNYC
VISIT WWW.NYCEDC.COM/INWOODNYC
EMAIL [email protected]