Candidate Name: Wei-Li Tjong

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 oppose measures to remove Elizabeth Street Garden as parkland. Local community stakeholders, residents, and Democratic clubs – to whom I will always listen and look to for guidance – have clearly registered their disapproval and I know that we don’t have to choose between green space and affordable housing. We definitely can and must do both. I support preserving the garden while enhancing true affordability measures, including looking at alternative sites and community-driven solutions that respect the voices of our neighborhood.

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

We must fight for a plan that preserves Elizabeth Street Garden–that’s a baseline, not a tradeoff. At the same time, we should be pursuing housing solutions that maximize the number of deeply affordable units and guarantee permanent affordability. If a plan can deliver significantly more housing without sacrificing this or other irreplaceable green space, that’s the standard we should be aiming for.

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