New York City's Department of Environmental Protection told the Queensborough land‑use hearing that updated stormwater rules will require many redevelopment sites in the proposed Long Island City rezoning area to manage rain on‑site and that the agency is preparing a targeted drainage study for the neighborhood.

"Those sites are going to be be required to retain or detain, meaning hold back completely or slow release the stormwater into our system there," said Dylan Marr of DEP. Marr described the green‑infrastructure requirement as holding the "first 1.5 inches of rainwater," meaning that in heavy storms much of the initial runoff would not enter combined sewers from compliant sites.

What DEP told the hearing:
- Thresholds: The updated unified stormwater rule discussed at the hearing requires on‑site green infrastructure for new or redeveloped sites above certain sizes. DEP clarified that sites over 20,000 square feet are subject to retention standards and that redevelopment creating 5,000 square feet or more of new impervious surface also triggers similar requirements in many cases.
- Partial releases: Marr said smaller redevelopment parcels that do not meet the full green‑infrastructure retention threshold still face stricter release‑rate requirements to slow runoff into the sewer network.
- Drainage study timeline: DEP said it has already begun assessments with DCP and expects to complete a detailed drainage plan "early next year," with the first quarter noted as the agency's expectation.

Borough President Donovan Richards and others pressed DEP about infrastructure gaps. "I find it hard to believe there would be no infrastructure impacts in this area," Richards said, and asked whether DEP had already mapped direct investments. Marr replied that DEP is "proactively" assessing the sewer infrastructure and is coordinating with DCP; he said some larger trunks (the main sewers) were shown in the DEIS as able to accommodate the additional sanitary flows but that detailed drainage network work remains to be completed.

Why it matters: Long Island City sits on a combined sewer system in much of the study area; reducing stormwater inflow and managing new sanitary flows are essential to prevent basement and street flooding and to limit combined sewer overflows into waterways. Community members and elected officials at the hearing repeatedly flagged flooding history and urged that infrastructure work be scheduled and resourced before major development occurs.

What was not settled: DEP did not supply a finalized list of capital projects or budgets at the hearing. Officials said more precise capital planning and mitigation measures will be set out after the agency completes its drainage study and after rezoning certainty allows finer modeling.

Ending: DEP's technical answers narrowed the scope of how redevelopment can reduce stormwater going into the system, but community members said they want faster, binding timelines and clear capital commitments for sewer and stormwater upgrades before approvals proceed.