City Council considers impact of Wal-Mart

Concerns about how big-box retailer would affect small businesses dominated hearing. On February 3, 2011, the City Council’s Community Development Committee, Small Business Committee, and Economic Development Committee held a joint oversight hearing to debate Wal- Mart’s impact on the local community if the big-box retailer opened a store in the City. The Council convened the hearing in response to Wal-Mart’s renewed campaign to open a store in the City. Community opposition caused Wal-Mart to … <Read More>


Key Terms text change OK’d

New Clarification Text Amendment changes the meaning of the term ‘building”. Image: Courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning.

Amendment redefines “development” and “building” and clarifies how the terms are used in order to reflect Planning’s intent. On February 2, 2011, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s Key Terms Text Amendment. Planning proposed the 700-page text amendment to ensure that existing regulations are interpreted and applied as originally intended under the … <Read More>


Rezoning of S.I. commercial corridors approved

Staten Island proposed new zoning. Image: courtesy NYC Department of City Planning.

Plan brings three separate commercial corridors into conformance with zoning regulations. On January 18, 2011, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s proposal to apply commercial overlays to three commercial corridors comprising 28 total blocks in Staten Island: Richmond Avenue from Victory Boulevard to Travis Avenue; Hylan Boulevard between Naughton and Seaver Avenues; and Hylan Boulevard between Richmond Avenue and Goodall … <Read More>


Car-share parking text amendment approved

Text change establishes clear rules on where car-sharing companies can park vehicles. On September 29, 2010, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s Car- Share Text Amendment. The zoning resolution now recognizes car-share vehicles, such as those offered by ZipCar and Connect by Hertz, and sets out which off-street parking facilities are suitable for car-share storage. The City Planning Commission modified the text amendment during its review of the proposal. 7 CityLand 123 … <Read More>


Housing for formerly incarcerated women approved

Not-for-profit requested rezoning in order to develop affordable housing for formerly incarcerated women and their children. On September 16, 2010, the City Council approved Hour Children Inc.’s proposal to rezone a one-and-a-half block portion of Ravenswood, Queens to permit residential uses. The rezoning area is bounded by 36th Avenue to the north, 37th Avenue to the south, 11th Street to the east, and a line midway between 12th and 13th streets to the west. The … <Read More>


Affordable housing approved in West Chelsea

Image: Courtesy GF 55 Partners

The City agreed to build mixed-income housing project prior to 2005 West Chelsea rezoning. On June 29, 2010, the City Council approved, at the request of the New York City Housing Authority, a text amendment that would facilitate the development of a 22-story mixed-income affordable housing project on the site of the Housing Authority-controlled Elliott-Chelsea Houses at the northwest corner of West 25th Street and Ninth Avenue in Chelsea. … <Read More>