HPD adopted amendments to the rules governing Mitchell-Lama housing, such as this building in Manhattan. Image credit: NYC.gov
New rules address transferability of applications, preferences for veterans, and more. On November 25, 2014 the Department of Housing Preservation and Development formally adopted amendments to the rules governing city-aided limited-profit housing companies, commonly referred to as the Mitchell-Lama program. A public hearing on the proposed changes was held on November 6, 2013 and public comments were received by HPD through November 30, 2013. (more…)
Citywide rule change would streamline review process for changes to building storefronts under Landmarks’ jurisdiction. On February 23, 2012, Landmarks published in the City Record a proposed amendment to the City rules that would streamline the review process for proposed alterations to the storefronts of land-marked buildings. Currently the majority of applications for changes to storefronts need to be reviewed by Landmarks’ commissioners. The Citywide rule change would permit Landmarks’ staff to approve applications for alterations to a building’s storefront if the changes are based on historic prototypes within the specific historic district for buildings of similar age, type, and style. The new rules would also permit staff-level approval for security gates, and HVAC equipment.
The proposal follows the City Council’s review of Landmarks’ designation of the Borough Hall Historic District. Landmarks agreed during the hearing to expedite the creation of the proposed rule change. 9 City- Land 1 (Feb. 15, 2012). Landmarks calendared the rule change on February 7, 2012, and will hold a hearing on the change on March 27, 2012.
City Record, Feb. 23, 2012 at 395.
1998 zoning amendment required contribution to theater fund for transfer of development rights from certain theaters. On October 19, 2011, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the City rules that would increase the contribution to the Theater Subdistrict Fund connected to the transfer of development rights from 46 listed theaters in Manhattan’s Theater Subdistrict. The proposal was published in the City Record on September 15, 2011.
The City in 1982 created the Theater Subdistrict to halt further demolitions of Midtown theaters. The Subdistrict comprises an area generally bounded by West 40th and West 57th Streets and Sixth and Eighth Avenues. The Subdistrict restricted the demolition of designated theaters and permitted theaters to transfer development rights to other parcels in the area. A set of amendments to the Subdistrict approved in 1998 created a mechanism that permitted certain theaters to transfer development rights on an as-of-right basis. A theater could transfer its development rights if it committed to operate as a legitimate theater and if a financial contribution was made to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. The fund is administered by the Theater Subdistrict Council, which was created in 2007 and allocates grants to promote the theater industry.
The City Planning Commission is required to review and adjust the contribution amount no more than once every three years and no less than once every five years. The adjustment reflects changes in the assessed values of properties within the Subdistrict. In 1998, the contribution amount was set at $10 per square foot of transferred floor area and increased to $14.91 in 2006. (more…)
Rule amendment would expand staff-level approval authority for some types of window and sign alterations. On March 1, 2011, Landmarks held a public hearing on proposed amendments to the rules pertaining to construction work on properties under Landmarks’ jurisdiction. Landmarks proposed the changes to streamline the application review process, codify current practices and policies, and address inconsistencies. Chair Robert B. Tierney stated that the proposal was partially intended to remove from the calendar issues that have consistently been decided based on similar circumstances and to make the City’s preservation law as “simple [and] transparent as possible.
The rules include permitting staff-level approval of modifications to certain visible windows, more staff-level approval of storefront signage, and expedited review of cellar and basement work provided it would not involve excavation. The new rules would no longer allow staff-level approval of modifications to non-visible windows on the top floors of rowhouses, keeping with comments from Commissioners regarding the significance of historic rowhouses. The changes would require staff to consider applications for rear or roof additions in the context of aggregate enlargements to the buildings, including approved and grandfathered additions. The definition of mechanical equipment would be broadened to include solar panels, wind turbines, and micro turbines, in order to ease the approval of green technologies. (more…)
Stringer, the community board, and Council Members Katz and Avella voice strong opposition;vote planned for August. The Department of City Planning initiated a proposal for twelve text changes to sections of the Hudson Yards zoning text which the Council passed in 2005 and impacts West Midtown below 42nd Street. The proposed changes encompass design points, such as applying sidewalk widening rules along Eighth Avenue and waiving window glazing for projects along a portion of Hudson Boulevard, a new north-south commercial avenue in the heart of the zoning district. More significant text changes deal with relocating subway entrances for the No. 7 line, the transfer of development rights from MTA’s eastern rail yards, use of the Hudson Yards District Improvement Bonus, and alterations to street wall rules.
Under the proposed new text, developers could obtain a building permit for a project without precluding the possibility that they could later seek a transfer of development rights (TDRs) from MTA’s rail yards or the use of the District Improvement Bonus to increase the size of their building. The proposal would also give the Planning Commission rulemaking authority that will allow it, over time, to alter the rules on how to implement the District Improvement Bonus. The new street wall provisions would allow buildings along portions of Eighth and Ninth Avenues and West 34th Street to be set back five feet starting at the building’s third story. (more…)
