Council modifies street trees and yards specs.

Council Members Tony Avella and Melinda Katz secure exemption for certain one- and two-family homes from new street tree requirements. On April 30, 2008, the City Council modified the Department of City Planning’s proposals to amend the zoning requirements for street trees and yards. The proposals are designed to create green streetscapes, increase open space, and ameliorate storm water runoff problems.

Under the old zoning, property owners were required to plant street trees in a … <Read More>


Council passes new design standards for parking lots

New standards in tune with Mayor’s PlaNYC 2030. The City Council unanimously approved City Planning’s proposal to establish rules regulating the design of open public parking lots, as well as those for commercial and community use facilities. The new standards will apply to new lots and certain existing lots if enlarged.

Prior to the Council’s vote, parking lots were not subject to any Citywide zoning requirements that ensured vehicle maneuverability or environmentally friendly design. According … <Read More>


Council limits bulk waiver to Manhattan Comm.Board 7

The proposed height provision had, as approved by the Planning Commission, been applicable citywide. On February 28, 2007, the City Council approved the four linked applications for the mixed-use development of West 60th Street Associates, LLC with significant modifications to the developer’s proposed citywide zoning change on bulk.

West 60th originally proposed a zoning text amendment that would allow developers of general, large-scale developments located in certain commercial districts to modify the height factor calculation, … <Read More>


Olinville down-zoned; new R5A district created

Olinville: Proposed Zoning used with permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. All rights reserved.

Unique Bronx neighborhood down-zoned. On December 8, 2005, the City Council rezoned 39 blocks in Olinville, Bronx and, in a separate action, created a new R5A district which can be applied citywide. The Planning Department initiated the rezoning proposal in response to Bronx Community Board 12’s and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr.’s concerns over the increasing … <Read More>


LIRR commuter parking lot to become senior housing

Development will contain 38 units of senior housing, office space, and 54 tenant parking spaces. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services obtained approval to dispose of a 47,108 sq.ft. site located at 240-02 North Conduit Avenue, currently providing 40 parking spaces for Rosedale LIRR commuters, to the New York City Economic Development Corporation for a new mixed-use development. EDC will transfer the site to Stone Ridge Homes, Inc., which will develop a three-story, 16,402 sq.ft. … <Read More>