image via brownstoner.com

Streetsblog reported last week that the Department of City Planning is re-analyzing its minimum parking requirements in certain neighborhoods with good transit access, such as Downtown Brooklyn, Harlem and western Queens.  Currently, the Zoning Resolution requires that parking be provided for almost all new developments throughout all areas of NYC, with the exception of Manhattan below 110^th Street and in a limited area in Queens. (more…)

photo courtesy of wikipedia

The NSA is often called “No Such Agency” – since its operations are cloaked in secrecy – while the BSA has been called, by the Times, “a (powerful, but) relatively obscure agency”.  See the similarity?

Now, we can’t say that the Nation’s security hangs in the balance at the BSA – but, it does carry out a vital – and often misunderstood – role in City government and zoning law.  It is a powerful and quietly effective and efficient organization.  Like the NSA, it manages to avoid the spotlight, all the while subject to the (exclusive) control of the executive branch.  (NSA’s chief is, of course, appointed by POTUS – code for President of the United States; the BSA is controlled by Hizzoner, the Mayor). (more…)

A Zipcar, soon to be legitimized by the Zoning Resolution. Image via movementbureau.blogs.com

This Wednesday, the NYC Planning Commission held a hearing on the City Planning Department’s proposed car sharing zoning text amendment.  The text amendment would officially recognize and regulate car sharing services such as Zipcar.  Currently, Zipcar and other car sharing services are in somewhat of a gray area when it comes to zoning, in that they are not mentioned in the zoning resolution at all.  The proposed text amendment would allow car sharing vehicles in both accessory and public parking garages throughout the city. (more…)

Image from Google Streetview

In 2007, an owner of an upper east side townhouse submitted a proposal to the Department of City Planning requesting permission to convert the townhouse basement into a 1-car garage.  Doing so would require creating a 9’2” curb cut in front of the property in question.

The Department of City Planning rejected the application, citing Section 25-633 of the zoning resolution:

In the districts indicated, curb cuts are prohibited for residential developments on zoning lots having a width of less than 40 feet…

City Planning felt that this section disqualified the applicant, since the property: (more…)

Earlier this week, the Green Codes Task Force – a group convened in July 2008 by Mayor Bloomberg and Council Speaker Quinn to review the regulations affecting buildings and provide suggestions on amending these regulations to promote sustainability – released their report.

The report covers a wide array of topics, ranging from health and toxicity to energy and water to urban ecology.

The recommendations suggest changes to the general approach to new construction and existing buildings.  Additionally, specific changes to the building code and zoning regulation are suggested.

Some tangible changes that the Task Force recommends are: (more…)

The City Planning Commission yesterday put forward new proposed parking regulations that aim to prevent the utilization of front yards as parking spaces.  The proposed regulations will prohibit new “parking pads” in single and two-family districts and will also prohibit some new curb cuts.  [Curb cuts are literally breaks in a curb that lead to a driveway or parking area.]  Curb cuts allow for the creation of these “parking pads” while simultaneously eliminating an on-street public parking spot.  Prohibiting them allows City Planning to kill two birds with one stone.

Additionally, the citywide text amendment proposes to: (more…)

For many years, the Department of City Planning has been providing a Floor Area bonus (in certain zoning districts) to developers who provide some open space at the base of their building.

In recent years, this aspect of the zoning resolution has seen increased regulation and oversight.  By all accounts, this heightened attention and focus on design has produced much more desirable plazas, with seating, lighting, and other amenities previously not included in these open spaces.

The question remains, however, about what to do about plazas that were built 20 and 30 years ago, with arguably less regard for design and usability than those constructed today.  A property owner is under no obligation to make improvements to a previously constructed plaza.  Furthermore, there is very little incentive to upgrade a plaza, as the additional Floor Area was obtained years earlier and property owners sometimes prefer not to have seating in front of their building.

One property owner is addressing this issue head on.   (more…)