Roadway dining will be allowed under the new program but only seasonally. Sidewalk and roadway cafes must have removable furniture and equipment, instead of the dining shed structures that caused much controversy over the past few years. Image Credit: NYC DOT
After a year and a half since the bill was introduced, the Council finally votes to create a permanent outdoor dining program. On August 3, 2023, the City Council voted to approve Int 31-C, which establishes a permanent outdoor dining program. The program will allow sidewalk cafes to operate annually and roadway cafes to operate seasonally, with removable furniture and decor replacing solid dining shed structures. The program follows the temporary outdoor dining program that removed barriers for restaurants to incorporate outdoor sidewalk and roadway dining during the pandemic. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Marjorie Velázquez, Chair of the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. (more…)
Mayor Eric Adams. Photo Credit: facebook.com/NYCMayor
On August 1, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the successful enforcement against safety violations found in over 5,000 apartments through an agreement between the city and four landlords that have resulted in almost $500,000 in civil penalties, and required the landlords to resolve all outstanding violations and comply with Local Law 1, the New York City Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. (more…)
Rendering of the new senior housing development Weeksvillage. Image Credit: HPD.
On June 22, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) announced plans to develop 200 affordable senior homes in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The project, called Weeksvillage, will be developed by CAMBA Housing Ventures (CHV) on underutilized NYCHA land within the Kingsborough Houses campus. (more…)
Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll. Image Credit: LPC.
On July 11, 2023, Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) approved rules to expedite and simplify the application process for property owners seeking agency approval for certain upgrades to landmarked properties. The new rules will widen the scope of applications that staff can approve, eliminating the need for review by the full Commission at a public hearing. (more…)
Image credit: New York City Council.
On July 13, 2023, the City Council passed Int. 193-A and Int. 200-A, two bills aimed to further improve the city’s laws to prevent lead poisoning. (more…)
