The zoning text amendment now moves on to City Council for approval. On November 15, 2021, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the Permanent Open Restaurants Program zoning text amendment in a special public hearing. The proposed Permanent Open Restaurants program will transfer the control of sidewalk cafes to the Department of Transportation from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (formerly Consumer Affairs) and aims to create a more streamlined approval process for … <Read More>
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Mayor’s Office Announces Opening of New Municipal Archives Facility
The new facility includes cold storage vaults for film, photo and video footage. On October 25, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the opening of the new Municipal Archives facility for the Department of Records and Information Services. The new facility will be located at Industry City, Brooklyn.
City Planning Holds Public Hearing for Permanent Open Restaurants Program, Launches Design Public Engagement Process
Many residents and community board members complained of quality of life issues, including noise, trash, cigarette smoke, and loss of parking. On October 6, 2021, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for the Permanent Open Restaurants program. The Permanent Open Restaurants program will formalize a process for restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes in a shortened process. The proposed permanent program follows the popularity of the temporary open restaurants program, which was … <Read More>
Community Boards Share Many Concerns Over Permanent Open Restaurant Program
Community boards in support and against the application had concerns about quality of life issues and community board involvement in future reviews. Last year’s Open Restaurants program was established to allow restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes without the extensive approval process to provide safe outdoor dining options during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the program was enabled through an emergency executive order that temporarily suspended the sidewalk café application process, a permanent program would … <Read More>
Mayor’s Office Announces Governors Island Will Be Open Year-Round for the Public Starting in the Fall
The island has seen large growth in visitors over the past several years. On September 28, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Trust for Governors Island announced that Governors Island will now be open year-round to the public starting November 1st. Governors Island, a 172 acre island in New York Harbor, was previously only open seasonally from May to October.
New Affordable Senior Housing Development Opens in Crotona Park East
The building features multiple green spaces for seniors. On September 29, 2021, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the ribbon cutting of a new 100 percent affordable senior housing development at 1490 Southern Boulevard in the Crotona Park East section of the Bronx. The site was previously a vacant lot.