The Municipal Parking Lot Hearing

The KAVC 2010 interns attended a City Hall hearing scheduled at 9:30 AM on Thursday July 15, 2010. Coordinators Chejin Park, Andrew Choi and interns Hyung Seok (Brian) Lee, Changmin Lee, Michelle Kim, Yoonsun Na, Sung Kyu (Robert) Park, Eun Bee (Gloria )Yun, and Jihyung Kim arrived at the 250 Broadway structure to attend the hearing. The testifiers that supported the project emphasized the promotion of affordable housing, relief of the economic status, and product diversity provided by major brand stores. The testifiers that were against the project emphasized the loss of customers for the local small businesses, build-up of traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces, and the dilemma of local stores running out of business.

Interns Yoonsun Na, Michelle Kim, Brian Lee, and Coordinator Andrew Choi testified in the hearing in opposition to the 850 million dollar Flushing Commons project during the final panel for opposition. The interns were immobilized in an overflow room without any sound (on the 14th floor) for three hours, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, unable to listen to any testimonies until they were allowed to go to the 16th floor to attend the hearing. The interns met with various other testifiers such as Richard Lee from AAFA and Mr. Rim from Rim’s Jewelry who were also in opposition to the Flushing Commons project.

Intern Michelle Kim describes her experience as a nerve-wrecking event and an occurrence that differed from her expectations. “I was really glad to share my testimony as well as to hear from my coordinator and my other fellow interns. I really believe that it was a great way to know how the government works,” states Intern Brian Lee. Intern Yoonsun comments on the hearing as an educational and invigorating experience for all the interns, a declaration that all the interns agree with. The hearing was an educational event that gave the interns a life lesson and a chance to preview the processes of local government.