The New York City Housing Authority ("NYCHA"), in coordination with the PACT partner, contemplates the following “Proposed Actions": 

1. Staged demolition and replacement of all existing dwelling units and community facility spaces at the Project Sites; and 
2. Staged development of new mixed-use buildings, including affordable and market-rate residential units, new community facility spaces, and new retail (including supermarket) uses at the Project Sites.  

The purpose of the Proposed Actions is to improve the quality of housing for residents of the Project Sites by constructing new housing for all existing residents while preserving permanent affordability and preserving residents’ rights under the PACT program. The Proposed Actions will also provide additional affordable and market-rate housing units, as well as expanded community facility, retail, and open space for the benefit of NYCHA residents and the surrounding Chelsea community. 

PACT is a program that allows NYCHA to unlock funding to complete comprehensive repairs or build new, modern homes at NYCHA properties. Through PACT, developments are included in the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and transition to a more stable, federally funded program called Project-Based Section 8. PACT ensures that homes remain permanently affordable and resident rights are fully preserved. 

To facilitate the redevelopment of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea, the impacts to the human, built, and natural environment in the area will be analyzed through a National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”). The environmental review process under NEPA provides an opportunity for the public to be involved in the agency analysis process. It helps the public understand what is being proposed, and provides the public the opportunity to comment on the analysis of the environmental effects of the Proposed Project and possible mitigation. The EIS will be undertaken by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”), as lead federal agency and Responsible Entity on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). NYCHA will serve as project sponsor and joint-lead agency for the environmental review alongside HPD. Because the Proposed Project has identified approvals and involvement from federal, state, and city agencies, HPD, in coordination with NYCHA, will prepare an EIS to fulfill the environmental review requirements of NEPA, and as appropriate, technical analysis areas outlined in the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and City Environmental Quality Review ("CEQR"). 

An EIS is prepared in a series of steps: 

1. gather government and public comments to define the issues that should be analyzed in the EIS (a process known as “scoping”); 
2. prepare the Draft EIS; 
3. receive and respond to public comments on the Draft EIS; and 
4. prepare the Final EIS. 

Decisions are not made in an EIS; rather, the EIS analysis is one of several factors decisionmakers consider. The conclusions of the EIS and the decision of how the Proposed Project would be developed to minimize community and environmental impact is announced in the Record of Decision ("ROD") after the final EIS has been published. 

Learn more about NEPA here: 

Citizens Guide to NEPA 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Orientation to Environmental Review 

NEPA.gov 

The environmental review process: 

 

On January 8, 2024, a Notice of Intent ("NOI") to Prepare the EIS for the Proposed Project was published in the Federal Register, kicking off the EIS scoping Process. 

Notice of Intent: English | Español | 繁體 / 简体 | Русский

Draft Scope of Work ("DSOW"): English | Español | 繁體 / 简体 | Русский

What is scoping?

Scoping is a public process to determine the issues that will be analyzed in an EIS. As part of Scoping, HPD and NYCHA, as joint lead agencies, will engage federal, state, local and tribal governments and agencies, and the public, in the early identification of concerns, potential impacts, and possible alternatives to the Proposed Project. As part of scoping, the lead agencies will determine the scope and the significant issues to be analyzed in the EIS for the Proposed Project and will eliminate non-significant issues from further study. 

A Draft Scope of Work (“DSOW”) has been issued for review by federal, state, local and tribal governments as well as the public. This DSOW describes the Proposed Actions with sufficient detail to allow the public and interested and involved agencies to understand the potential environmental issues. For each technical analysis area, the DSOW identifies the proposed study areas, types of data to be gathered, and how this data will be analyzed (including the preferred method of analysis). Reasonable alternatives also will be identified to be evaluated. 

Once the DSOW is issued, several public scoping meetings will be held to provide opportunity for input from the residents, government agencies, tribes, and other members of the public who want to provide public comment. The comment period on the DSOW runs from the date the Notice of Intent to Prepare the EIS is published in the Federal Register and other local newspapers until the comment period closes. Comments received during the comment period, whether in writing or in person at the public scoping meeting, will be considered by the lead agencies in the preparation of a final scope of work ("FSOW"). 

For the purposes of the environmental review for the Proposed Project, HPD and NYCHA are requesting comments on the DSOW. Details on how to comment on the DSOW are in the box below. 

FEC Scoping Meeting (Fulton) 02012024 February 1, 2024

View Recording

FEC Scoping Meeting (Zoom) February 5, 2024

View Recording

FEC Scoping Meeting (Elliott-Chelsea) February 7, 2024

View Recording

---

How to participate in scoping

There are several ways for the public to provide comments during the scoping process. From January 8, 2024 to March 8, 2024, the public can send comments via the following method: 

1. Send an email to  nepa_env@hpd.nyc.gov  
2. Mail a letter to:
   
   Department of Housing Preservation Attn: Anthony Howard
   100 Gold Street, #7-A3
   New York, NY 10038 
   
   
3. Attend one of the following public meetings 

Thursday, February 1, 2024 - 6 PM 
Fulton Senior Center 

Monday, February 5, 2024  - 4 PM 
Virtually on Zoom Register here.

• Public Scoping Meeting for the Environmental Impact Statement for the Fulton, Elliott-Chelsea Redevelopment Project - English | Español | 繁體 / 简体 | Русский

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 6:30 PM 
Elliott-Chelsea Community Center 

NYCHA and HPD are seeking comments on the following general issues: 

• Issues and analysis topics to be included in the scope of work; 
• Methodologies for analysis (such as the size of the study area, the type of data to be gathered, or the type of analysis to be conducted); 
• Alternatives to the proposed project; and 
• Special conditions or concerns that the lead agency should consider. 

Public comments that are focused on the environmental process of the Proposed Project will be taken into consideration and incorporated into the Final Scope of Work ("FSOW") and Draft EIS (DEIS). 

All public scoping meetings will have Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. If you need additional language or other accessibility accommodations, please email nepa_env@hpd.nyc.gov 10 days prior to the scheduled date and we will make every effort to accommodate your request. 

Sources: 

Code of Federal Regulations Section 1501.9 
CEQR Technical Manual :

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) looks at both short-term and long-term effects of a proposed project and considers possible measures to reduce or mitigate those effects. An EIS provides public officials with relevant information and allows them to take a "hard look" at the potential environmental consequences of each proposed project. 

Agencies prepare environmental impact statements in two stages, Draft and Final. First, agencies prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (“DEIS”) in accordance with the scope decided upon in the scoping process. The DEIS is a “draft” to indicate that the report is subject to modification in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (“FEIS”), but it is a comprehensive document sufficient to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the potential for significant adverse environmental impacts. The DEIS fully describes the proposed project and the background; purpose; public need and benefits, including social and economic considerations; approvals required; and the role of the EIS in the approval process. The lead agency(-ies) work with the cooperating and involved agencies and obtain comments as required. 

The contents of a DEIS include: 

• A description of the proposed project and its environmental setting; 
• A statement of the environmental impacts of the proposed project, including short-term and long-term effects and any typical associated environmental effects; 
• An identification of any adverse environmental effects that cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented; 
• A discussion of the social and economic impacts of the proposed project; 
• A discussion of alternatives to the proposed project and the comparable impacts and effects of such alternatives; 
• An identification of any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved in the proposed project should it be implemented; 
• A description of mitigation measures proposed to minimize significant adverse environmental impacts; 
• A description of the growth-inducing aspects of the proposed project, where applicable and significant; 
• A discussion of the effects of the proposed project on the use and conservation of energy resources, where applicable and significant; and 
• A list of underlying studies, reports or other information obtained and considered in preparing the statement. 

Once the DEIS is completed, a Notice of Availability will be published which will initiate a public review period of at least 45 days during which the public may review and comment on the DEIS, either in writing and/or at a public hearing, similar to the opportunity for public comment offered during the scoping process. 

Sources: 
Code of Federal Regulations Section 1502.9.

Once the comment period for the DEIS has closed, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (“FEIS”) will be prepared. This FEIS will include the contents of the DEIS, as well as copies or a summary of the comments received at the public hearing or in writing during the DEIS public comment period, and responses. Any revisions to the DEIS made in response to comments are set forth in the FEIS. 

The FEIS will include any measures that minimize identified significant adverse environmental impacts to the greatest extent practicable. If a range of possible mitigation measures for a given technical area was presented in the DEIS, selected mitigation and the method of implementation will be disclosed in the FEIS. 

Once the lead agency or agencies verify that the FEIS is complete, a Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal Register, which will initiate a 30-day review period of the FEIS. Federal agencies may not make or issue a Record of Decision (“ROD”) for the proposed project until the later of the following dates: 

1. 90 days after publication of the DEIS Notice of Availability in the Federal Register
2. 30 days after publication of the FEIS Notice of Availability in the Federal Register

At the time of decision, the lead agency or agencies prepare and publish a concise joint Record of Decision/Findings Statement which ends the environmental review process and certifies that the agencies have considered all alternatives, information, analyses, and objections submitted by State, Tribal, and local governments and public commenters in developing the EIS. 

Sources: 

Code of Federal Regulations Section 1502.9 
Code of Federal Regulations Section 1505.2.

012224 FEC Resident Pamphlet (English | Español | Русский | 中文 (繁體/ | 简体). 

The Working Group Final Report (English | Español | Русский | 中文 (繁體/ | 简体). 

The Working Group Summary Booklet  English | Español | 中文 (繁體/ | 简体) | Русский 

The press release announcing the selection of the PACT Partner   

The press release announcing the plans for the complete rebuilding of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea

In February 2023, resident association leadership from Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses met with city, state, and federal elected officials, local stakeholders, NYCHA leadership, and principals from Essence Development and Related Companies (“PACT Partner”) to express their desire to commence a robust resident engagement process at the two campuses to explore resident interest in rebuilding all 2,056 apartments. The resident association leadership requested that NYCHA and the PACT Partner work with them to design the engagement process and a strategy for gauging resident preferences for rebuilding or rehabilitation.

Over a 60-day period beginning in March 2023, with the support of resident association leaders, NYCHA and the PACT Partner hosted 35 scheduled town hall sessions in multiple languages; canvassed thousands of residents across both campuses; provided weekly Saturday tours of new affordable construction developments at Hunter’s Point South and Roosevelt Island; and distributed information packets to every apartment. In addition to the 35 scheduled town hall meetings, smaller groups of residents requested meetings with NYCHA and the PACT Partners to ask additional questions.

NYCHA and the PACT Partner surveyed residents of Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses to understand whether they preferred to move forward with the rehabilitation of the existing buildings, as originally planned, or proceed with a new proposal that would replace all existing buildings through new construction. Residents 18 years of age and older on leases could indicate their preference using either an online or paper survey.

The survey, town halls, and tours were all designed to function as an integrated program. Residents were encouraged to attend a town hall session – during which all aspects of demolition, rebuilding, relocation, and rehabilitation were discussed – before completing the survey. The survey was intended to serve as an engagement tool that would inform the direction of the project and future community engagement processes.

To support the integrity of the process, the Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC) served as an independent third party that reviewed and tabulated the survey results. CHPC received all online and paper surveys, verified resident eligibility, performed QA functions, and summarized the results, which are presented in the tables below.

Based on CHPC’s analysis, 969 residents participated in the survey, which represents approximately 29% of the total eligible population across both campuses. Approximately 37% of all households had at least one individual who submitted a survey response. Of those residents who submitted a response, 57% indicated a preference for new construction/full replacement of existing units.

Survey Process and Results Presentation

Overall Survey Participation	Surveys Received
Total surveys submitted	1,183
Total surveys submitted from verified residents*	1,157
Total surveys submitted from verified residents with duplicates resolved**	969
* Verified residents must be at least 18 years old and an authorized household member
** Duplicate and conflicting responses were removed from this count. When one individual submitted multiple matching responses, one was counted. When one individual submitted multiple conflicting responses, none were counted.

Development	Number of Leased Residents (over 18)	Total Surveys Submitted	Survey Participation (as % of Eligible Residents)	Total Households	Households with ≥ 1 Survey Submitted	Survey Participation (as % of of Total Households)
Fulton	1,621	476	29%	911	329	36%
Elliott-Chelsea	1,767	493	28%	1,053	396	38%
Total	3,388	969	29%	1,964	725	37%

Survey Option Selected	Surveys Submitted	% of Total
Fulton Houses	476	100%
Rehabilitation of existing units	182	38%
New construction/full replacement of existing units	294	62%
Elliott-Chelsea Houses	493	100%
Rehabilitation of existing units	237	48%
New construction/full replacement of existing units	256	52%
Total Combined	969	100%
Rehabilitation of existing units	419	43%
New construction/full replacement of existing         units	550	57%