Candidate Name: Ben Kallos

Office Campaigning for: Manhattan Borough President

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR POSITION ON THE ROLE OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.

Green space is an essential element of any community. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us, open

green spaces are integral to keeping people happy and healthy.

My district ranks among the last among Council Districts in park space per capita, with many crowded, overused, deteriorating, and literally falling into the river. I set a goal of launching a conservancy for every park in my district and am nearly there. While they may not raise as much as Central Park, they do their best to care for and activate parks in the district. On the East River Esplanade, I co-chair a taskforce with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney that has secured roughly $30 million private funds and $840 million in city funds to rebuild a resilient waterfront and expand the Esplanade by multiple blocks. You can learn more at BenKallos.com/parks
Borough President Gale Brewer and I have also worked together to allocate $3.25 million dollars toward reconstructing Carl Schurz Park and building a new playground for our neighborhood children, including my daughter.

I’ve worked to open up privately owned public spaces throughout the borough. The landlords of more than 538 privately owned public spaces or (POPS) that are attached to 329 buildings must now provide the amenities they promised or face steep fines for not following the rules, thanks to Local Law 250 of 2017 that I authored. In addition the law I authored requires signage at all POPS, detailing amenities and hours of operation, as well as a website where the public can find more information and complaints can be registered.

I am a tenant, I am not a millionaire, parks have always been and are now more so a vital refuge from a cramped one-bedroom apartment for me, my wife, and daughter, and the next Borough President I will continue to be a champion for open space.

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR POSITION ON HOW THE CITY PRIORITIZES PUBLIC OPEN GREEN SPACE AND HOW COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE OFTEN PITTED AGAINST THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

We should and can have both open green space and affordable housing.

I believe that advocating for open green space and affordable housing can go hand in hand. When the proposed in-fill plan at Holmes Towers threatened to destroy residents’ playground, Congresswoman Maloney, Borough President Brewer, and I stood up to the Mayor, NYCHA and the project’s developers. In my district, a tower was proposed that would block sunlight from reaching St Catherine’s Park for hours each day and I have come out questioning the project’s impact on the park and will do everything in my power to protect the park.

No one will fight for parks like I will and I have the record to prove it.

HAVE YOU EVER VISITED ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE.

I am planning to visit and look forward to enjoying the garden with the community.

WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE ALTERNATIVE SITE SOLUTION THAT WOULD USE 388 HUDSON — A GRAVEL- FILLED, CITY-OWNED LOT — TO PROVIDE UP TO 5X THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OPEN SPACE WHILE SAVING ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN?

I support the alternative site at 388 Hudson. As the next Manhattan Borough President I would work with the community and a new Mayor to see if we could make the alternative site a reality. I will always work with the community to find alternative sites that provide affordable housing and preserve green space.

ESG CURRENTLY HAS A PENDING LAWSUIT TO SAVE THE GARDEN LED BY ATTORNEY NORMAN SIEGEL. IF THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED BEFORE THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION, ONCE IN OFFICE, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH ESG TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN?

Norman Siegel and I have worked together multiple times over the years and I am the only candidate in this race who has used my law degree to actually represent my community pro-bono in litigation against the City for circumventing the law to allow more buildings for billionaires. If the issue is not resolved by the time I take office as Borough President, I would be willing to serve as co-council and represent the community pro- bono. I will work with the new Council Member and a new City Council elected on the new campaign finance system I authored, free of the corrupting influence of real estate money, the next mayor, and Elizabeth St Gardens to reverse a bad plan and save the Garden.

IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU SUPPORT ESG'S PLAN TO SAVE THE GARDEN AS A CONSERVATION LAND TRUST? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW ESG'S FUTURE PLANS FOR SAVING THE GARDEN AS A CONSERVATION LAND TRUST, NYC PARK, OR GREENTHUMB GARDEN HERE: HTTPS://WWW.ELIZABETHSTREETGARDEN.COM/FUTURE

Yes

IF YOU ANSWERED "NO" TO THE ABOVE QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY.

N/A

IF ELECTED, WOULD YOU COMMIT TO SAVING ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN IN PERPETUITY?

Yes

IF YOU ANSWERED "NO" TO THE ABOVE QUESTION, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY.

N/A