An example from the Dept. of City Planning’s presentation, highlighting how a change to a facade for better insulation may be hindered by floor area ratio restrictions. Click to enlarge. Image Credit: NYC DCP.
Commissioners raised early questions about implementation and funding issues. On January 30, 2023, the City Planning Commission held a review session and overview discussion for the proposed Zoning for Carbon Neutrality amendment, one of the three City of Yes amendments proposed by Mayor Eric Adams last year. The Zoning for Carbon Neutrality amendment aims to reduce or eliminate unnecessary restrictions within the zoning text that inhibit a developer or building owner from using sustainable technology and design in their properties. While the official text of the amendment is not finished at this time, this hearing provided an overview about the goals of the amendment and highlighted common issues to be addressed by the amendment. Department of City Planning Director of Zoning Frank Ruchala presented the overview of the amendment to the commission. (more…)
Mayor Eric Adams. Photo Credit: facebook.com/NYCMayor
On January 30, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala announced a temporary amnesty program for overdue water bills. The program will forgive the interest if a customer pays a portion or a whole outstanding water bill. Nearly 200,000 customers owe a total $1.2 billion in water bill charges to the Department of Environmental Protection. The money from water bill payments goes toward the maintenance, repairs and upgrades for the city’s water system, which supplies over a billion gallons of water and treats 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily. (more…)
Mayor Eric Adams. Photo Credit: facebook.com/NYCMayor
Storm events like 2021’s Hurricane Ida highlight the importance of implementing stormwater mitigation measures in flooding-prone areas. On January 9, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the expansion of the Cloudburst Program, a program to construct clustered stormwater management projects in flood-prone communities. The program will expand to Corona and Kissena Park in Queens, Parkchester in the Bronx, and East New York, Brooklyn. Through the program, work has already started in South Jamaica and St. Albans in Queens and in East Harlem in Manhattan. (more…)
The Cross-Bronx Expressway. Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
On December 19, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a community-driven study to improve the Cross-Bronx Expressway. The Cross-Bronx Expressway, which was constructed in the 1950s and 60s, cut through communities across the borough, disrupting neighborhoods and local economies, and bringing noise and air pollution. (more…)
Rendering of the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center. Image Credit: NYC Parks Dept.
On December 22, 2022, the Parks Department and the Department of Design and Construction revealed the schematic design for the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. The new center will be located in Nostrand Playground on Nostrand Avenue between Foster Avenue and Farragut Place. (more…)
