Candidate Name: Jasmin Sanchez

Office Campaigning for: NYS Assembly 65

HAVE YOU EVER VISITED ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN?

Yes

ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN HAS NOW OFFICIALLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION. UNDER THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE, LAND FORMALLY DEDICATED AS PARKLAND CANNOT BE SOLD, LEASED, OR USED FOR NON-PARK PURPOSES WITHOUT LEGISLATIVE AUTHORIZATION. IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU VOTE TO REMOVE ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN AS PARKLAND IF THAT VOTE TOOK PLACE?

No

PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOVE

I would not vote to remove Elizabeth Street Garden as parkland. Once land is formally transferred to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is protected under the Public Trust Doctrine, a safeguard meant to ensure that public green space remains for community use and cannot be taken away without extraordinary justification. My position is also grounded in lived experience and advocacy. I was part of the fight to save East River Park, where we saw firsthand what happens when communities are shut out of decisions about their own open space. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the park was demolished, at a time when low-income residents along the waterfront needed it most. Families in NYCHA, seniors, and working-class residents relied on that park as one of the only accessible outdoor spaces during quarantine. It was a place for fresh air, exercise, and mental relief in an incredibly isolating and traumatic moment. Its removal deepened inequities, stripping away a vital resource from communities that already face disproportionate environmental and health burdens. That experience made clear that once public land is lost, even temporarily, it is communities like ours that bear the greatest cost. Removing parkland status from Elizabeth Street Garden would repeat that harm. It would set a precedent that even protected, community-fought spaces are not secure. We can and must address the housing crisis but not by taking away the very green spaces that sustain our neighborhoods. We need solutions that expand housing and protect open space because our communities deserve both.

THE PLAN THAT SAVES ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN WILL DELIVER 10X THE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS. IN ADDITION TO FAR MORE UNITS, THE ALTERNATIVE SITE PLAN ENSURES THAT THE AFFORDABILITY WILL BE PERMANENT, UNLIKE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD'VE DESTROYED THE GARDEN. DO YOU PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS PLAN?

Yes

PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOVE

I am glad that through Councilmember Marte’s leadership, a plan to both increase affordable housing by hundreds of units and save Elizabeth Street Garden was created. It is important that under this new administration that we hold firm to that plan, continue to protect our green spaces, and find new and innovative ways to increase our housing stock and decrease costs for working families in our community. I support a plan that both preserves Elizabeth Street Garden and delivers significantly more, permanently affordable housing. This is exactly the kind of solution our communities have been calling for: one that rejects the false choice between green space and housing. If an alternative plan can produce 10x the originally proposed affordable units, ensure permanent affordability, and avoid the loss of protected parkland, then it represents a smarter, more equitable path forward. I support this plan, and as a State Assembly Member, I would use the power of Albany to help make solutions like this not just possible, but standard. Preserving Elizabeth Street Garden while delivering significantly more permanently affordable housing reflects the kind of policy alignment we should be advancing statewide. It builds on the community-first approach championed by Christopher Marte but takes it a step further by recognizing that Albany plays a critical role in shaping land use, affordability, and the long-term protection of public assets. At the state level, there is real power to act. First, under the Public Trust Doctrine, any attempt to alienate parkland requires state legislative approval. That means as an Assembly Member, I would have a direct vote and I would use that power to block the removal of parkland like Elizabeth Street Garden unless there is a clear, community-driven, and superior public benefit. But beyond defense, Albany can be proactive. I would introduce and support legislation that: Strengthens Public Trust Protections Require that any parkland alienation proposal meet a higher standard: demonstrating no feasible alternative sites and guaranteeing a net gain in both public space and permanently affordable housing. Mandates “No Net Loss” of Green Space Statewide If parkland is ever considered for repurposing, it must be replaced with equal or greater acreage, quality, and accessibility, preferably within the same community district. Incentivizes Alternative Site Development Create state funding streams and tax incentives that prioritize building affordable housing on underutilized or city-owned sites before any protected parkland is considered. Expands Community Decision-Making Power Require deeper community engagement and binding local input before any application involving public land moves forward. This plan shows that we don’t have to choose between housing and open space and in Albany, I would fight to codify that principle into law. Because the goal isn’t just to save one garden, it’s to build a statewide model where we protect what communities have won, and deliver the housing they deserve.

IF ELECTED, DO YOU PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN REMAINS PRESERVED IN PERPETUITY AND CONTINUES TO BE OPERATED BY ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN, INC.?*

Yes