Remote Office Hours to Enhance Public Engagement Around Future Bronx Metro-North Stations - DCP

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For Immediate Release
June 23, 2021

Contacts:
Melissa Grace, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

DCP Introduces Remote Office Hours to Enhance Public Engagement Around Future Bronx Metro-North Stations

Office hours increase opportunities for the public to participate in ongoing planning work for Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City

NEW YORK – Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Marisa Lago today announced the introduction of remote office hours for New Yorkers to continue to plan for and around four new Metro-North stations coming to the East Bronx. These office hours provide a convenient time and place for members of the public to ask questions and offer ideas to DCP planners, to help ensure the coming Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City stations support the community’s current and future needs.

“Four new Bronx Metro-North stations are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform transit access in the East Bronx. These new stations need to integrate seamlessly into their neighborhoods, which means that DCP needs to hear directly from the New Yorkers who know these neighborhoods best – and that means you,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago. “With these remote office hours, DCP’s planners will be on-hand to answer your questions, hear your perspectives and work alongside you towards a brighter, more transit-accessible future. Reserve your spot and make your voice heard!”

“I applaud DCP for taking this step to ensure Bronx residents have their voices heard about the Metro North stations coming to Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City, through holding new designated remote office hours,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “For nearly a decade, I have been beating the drum on direct access to Penn Station from The Bronx, which is becoming a reality. I am encouraging all Bronxites to participate in these office hours to make their voices heard, because this form of transportation in the East Bronx will be beneficial to us all.”

“The Morris Park BID welcomes the DCP remote hours opportunity for our businesses and residents to understand and engage in the process of community planning around the four new Metro-North stations in East Bronx. We encourage all stakeholders to participate and share hopes and expectations for the future, better connected and thriving East Bronx,” said Dr. Camelia Tepelus, Executive Director of the Morris Park Business Improvement District.

Office hours are the latest in DCP’s public engagement for the new Metro-North service planned for the East Bronx. The public can ask questions and talk to team members one-on-one, or in a small group calling from the same device, for 15-minute bookings every Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. Office hours can be reserved here. People can sign up for the meetings up to 30 days in advance, starting on July 2.

In addition to office hours, DCP will continue to seek feedback and ideas from the public through a remote open house and upcoming remote workshops. A workshop for Parkchester/Van Nest is scheduled for June 24 at 5:30 p.m. A workshop for Morris Park is scheduled for June 29 at 5:30 p.m. To learn how to participate online or by calling from any phone, and to view DCP’s interactive webpage with videos, maps and surveys, please visit our website.

Since the study started in 2018, DCP has worked alongside the MTA, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., the NYC Department of Transportation, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and other stakeholders to advance public engagement on the new stations via workshops, meetings and additional events with community members and city agencies concerning the transit-accessible project.

The new stations are set to open after completion of the Penn Station Access project in the coming years, which will provide Metro-North riders with a direct route into Penn Station, significantly reducing commute times to and from the East Bronx for the first time in more than a century.

DCP aims to release a final plan for these four station areas by the end of this year.

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.