City Council Proposes Important Changes to Landmarks Law

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (“LPC”) has designated more than 1,400 individual landmarks and 107 historic districts.  Approximately 29,000 buildings are under LPC regulation. With only five percent of that total comprising individual landmarks,95 percent are subject to LPC regulation solely because they are located within historic districts, regardless of individual merit.

With the proliferation of buildings subject to LPC regulation, both as individual landmarks and within historic districts, attention has increasingly focused … <Read More>


Changes to 125th Street’s sidewalk cafe rules proposed

125th street street cafe. Image: Courtesy of NYC Department of City Planning.

Amendment would tighten sidewalk cafe regulations within Harlem’s Special 125th Street District to address local congestion concerns. On June 7, 2011, the City Council’s Land Use Committee approved the Department of City Planning’s proposal to modify sidewalk cafe regulations within the Special 125th Street District in Harlem, Manhattan. The Special District comprises 24 blocks of East, Central, and West Harlem generally bounded by … <Read More>


Landmarks increases fees

Landmarks last raised fees for new building and alteration applications in 2009. On March 8, 2011, Landmarks approved an increase in permit fees for new buildings and alterations. Landmarks published the rule in the City Record on December 16, 2010, and January 27, 2011. Landmarks last approved a fee increase in September 2009. 6 CityLand 125 (Sept. 15, 2009).

The change increases fees for permits related to new one- to three-family dwellings from ten to … <Read More>


LPC seeks fee increase

Current fee structure created in 2004. On August 4, 2009, Landmarks held a hearing on a proposed fee increase for new building and alteration applications. The rule was published in the City Record on July 2, 2009.

The proposed rule would increase Landmarks’ fee for new one-, two-, and three-family dwellings from six to ten cents per square foot. For all other buildings, the proposed rule would increase the fee from thirteen to twenty cents … <Read More>


Planning fees upped by 8%

Two new supplemental fees created. The City Planning Commission adopted an eight percent increase in land use application fees and CEQR near fees to become effective August 10, 2009. The approved changes also include two new supplemental fees: one triggered by land use applications for all projects over 500,000 sq.ft., and another for projects that necessitate a restrictive declaration related to the environmental review.

A supplemental fee for land use applications involving projects between 500,000 … <Read More>


Council approves changes to Clinton theater bonus

Amendments to Special Clinton District refine theater bonus zoning text. In 2005, the City Council approved several applications submitted by the Department of City Planning intended to revitalize the Far West Side of Manhattan. Among the approved actions was the establishment of the Special Hudson Yards District and the creation of a floor area bonus for theater use applicable to “Theater Row” in the Special Clinton District. 2 CityLand 4 (Feb. 15, 2005). In November … <Read More>