Map of Floodplain/Zoning Text Amendment Area. Image Credit: NYC City Planning Commission.
The Department of City Planning is seeking input on special flood resilience zoning from residents of the City’s floodplain. City Planning released a video explaining their flood resiliency goals. Resiliency is the “ability to withstand, recover, and emerge even stronger after a storm.” The City has adopted a multitude of approaches that, in combination, make the floodplain more resilient. The City is increasing emergency services, building breakwaters and wetlands to reduce the force of waves, building seawalls and bulkheads to block floodwaters from spreading inland, hardening utilities and infrastructure to prevent power outages, and making strides in resilient construction. Resilient construction of buildings is integrated in the City’s Building Code.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) defines flood risk, floodplains, and insurance rates. The City Department of Buildings enforces FEMA’s guidelines by adopting them into the City’s Building Code. The Building Code requires residential buildings to have space below the flood elevation line that allows water to enter and exit without causing damage. Commercial buildings must have ground floors impermeable to water entry. Buildings constructed using the more recent resiliency standards survived Hurricane Sandy with minimal damage. However, many buildings in the floodplain were built before the adoption of these Building Code regulations and the 1961 Zoning Resolution. (read more…)
Image credit: DCP
City Planning proposed a new special permit to limit the spread of hotels in light manufacturing districts. The New York City Department of City Planning has begun the public review process for a proposed zoning text amendment to limit the proliferation of hotels in districts zoned for light manufacturing. The amendment would require that proposed hotel developments in M1 zoning districts receive a special permit from the City Planning Commission. A public scoping meeting is scheduled for October 26, 2017, at Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street in Downtown Manhattan. (read more…)
Image credit: New York City Bar Association
A centennial symposium will celebrate the Nation’s first comprehensive zoning resolution: Leaders will look to past and future impact of zoning on the shaping of better cities. The Department of City Planning, in partnership with the New York City Bar Association, announced an all-day symposium titled Zoning at 100: A Symposium for the Future to take place on September 15, 2016. The symposium marks the 100th anniversary of the City’s Zoning Resolution which, when established in 1916, was the Nation’s first comprehensive regulation controlling land use and development.
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Department of City Planning. Image credit: DCP
City Planning revamps website for the first time since 2012; hopes to foster public engagement. On January 29, 2016, the Department of City Planning announced its new and revised website. The new site has a more attractive user interface, improved site navigation and revised content that better presents the Department’s priorities, work program and processes.
City Planning Director Carl Weisbrod said, “As the world moves more and more online, having an accessible and informative website is essential for any government agency. DCP’s more efficient website will make it easier for the public to become knowledgeable about our various initiatives, studies and research found online. Thanks to the hard work of our Information Technology division, DCP’s digital presence is stronger and more useful than ever.”
“Community engagement is a core objective.” The new website has a “get involved” page, allowing citizens to stay current on public meetings and community plans. Each page now allows for one-click sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr, and email to better disseminate City Planning content.
“Moving forward, DCP will continue to introduce new features to its website in order to improve the users’ experience, to increase transparency and to encourage community engagement,” according to a public statement issued by the Department.
This is the first time that the Department of City Planning has revamped the site since 2012. The site was built within the overall NYC.gov website architecture and therefore delivers to the public a look and feel that is uniform across City agencies. The new website can be located here.
Department of City Planning. Image credit: DCP
All land use applications and general inquires will be handled at new address; the City Planning Commission, however, will continue holding public meetings at 22 Reade Street. As of November 23, 2015, the Department of City Planning is no longer conducting its operations at 22 Reade Street in the Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan.
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