Downzoning will preserve residential character. On October 29, 2007, the City Council approved, with modifications, City Planning’s plan to rezone 317 blocks in the St. Albans and Hollis sections of Queens.
The plan, the result of a collaborative effort between Queens Community Board 12, Council Member Leroy Comrie, and City Planning, seeks to protect the area after market pressures forced some owners to sub-divide their lots or tear down existing one- and two-family homes in … <Read More>
New standards and guidelines intended to improve public use. The City Council approved City Planning’s proposal to update, improve, and consolidate rules for privately owned public spaces.
Under the old zoning, a developer in parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens can generate a floor area bonus of up to 20 percent if it builds an adjacent publicly-accessible open space, such as a plaza, arcade, or galleria. In practice, however, many of these privately owned public … <Read More>
The new historic district becomes the largest in Queens. On October 29, 2007, the City Council approved Landmarks’ proposal to designate Sunnyside Gardens, making it the seventh largest historic district in the city.
In June, Landmarks voted to designate Sunnyside Gardens despite it being zoned as a Special Planned Community Preservation District, which requires local homeowners to apply to the Planning Commisssion for a special permit before altering their building or landscaping. 4 CityLand 92 … <Read More>
Planning Commission approves modifications. On September 17, 2007, the City Council approved, with modifications, the plan to rezone 51 blocks of the Upper West Side. Two days later, the Planning Commission gave its final approval to the plan, finding no objections to the Council’s modifications.
The plan, the result of a two-year collaborative effort between City Planning, HPD, Landmarks, the Manhattan Borough President and local residents, sought to address concerns over out-of-character construction in the … <Read More>
DEP agrees to work with local community to address its concerns. On September 10, 2007, the City Council approved the Department of Environmental Protection’s plan to expand its water treatment plant in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Under the plan, DEP will construct two, 130-foot tall, eggshaped digester buildings, which … <Read More>
Related Companies obtained Council okay for 210-space garage despite Comm. Bd. opposition. On August 22, 2007, the City Council approved Related Companies’ special permit application for a 210-space accessory parking garage to be located within a mixed-use development that Related is constructing at 450 West 17th Street, adjacent to the High Line.
The project received one of the first High Line Improvement floor area bonuses, allowing Related to increase the development’s size by 160,775 sq.ft. … <Read More>