Rezoning in northeastern Queens approved

 

North Flushing Study Area Proposed Zoning & Land Use used with permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. All rights reserved.

Residents support City Planning’s proposal to use lower density and contextual zoning districts to limit out-of-character development. On April 22, 2009, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s rezoning proposal for more than 250 blocks in northeastern Queens, and the creation of a new citywide R1-2A contextual zoning … <Read More>


Council revises waterfront access regulations

Plan extends screening buffer waiver to community facility uses. In 1993, special waterfront zoning regulations were adopted to facilitate the redevelopment of waterfront properties. The regulations, found in Article VI Chapter 2 of the Zoning Resolution, were a response to the obstructed views, blocked public access, and out-of-character development that occurred along the City’s waterfront. The rules required developers in certain districts to construct and maintain waterfront public access areas. Over time, the rules helped … <Read More>


Commission adopts modified bicycle parking text

Amount of bicycle parking spaces required for affordable housing developments could be waived or reduced. On March 4, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved, with several modifications, the Department of City Planning’s proposed bicycle parking text amendment. The amendment would require developers to provide secure, enclosed bicycle parking facilities in new buildings, enlargements of buildings of 50 percent or more, and conversions to residential use.

Although the Commission expressed support for the proposal, it believed … <Read More>


Council modifies street trees and yards specs.

Council Members Tony Avella and Melinda Katz secure exemption for certain one- and two-family homes from new street tree requirements. On April 30, 2008, the City Council modified the Department of City Planning’s proposals to amend the zoning requirements for street trees and yards. The proposals are designed to create green streetscapes, increase open space, and ameliorate storm water runoff problems.

Under the old zoning, property owners were required to plant street trees in a … <Read More>


Council Member Melinda Katz Shares Her Insights on Land Use Issues

Council Member Melinda Katz is Chair of the Land Use Committee, a position she has held since 2002, when she was first elected to the City Council. The City’s land use review process requires that almost all major land use initiatives, with few exceptions, pass her desk for review. During her tenure as Chair, Katz “worked as a team” with the Bloomberg administration on the City-initiated rezonings, the largest rezoning initiative since 1961, covering roughly … <Read More>


Council passes new design standards for parking lots

New standards in tune with Mayor’s PlaNYC 2030. The City Council unanimously approved City Planning’s proposal to establish rules regulating the design of open public parking lots, as well as those for commercial and community use facilities. The new standards will apply to new lots and certain existing lots if enlarged.

Prior to the Council’s vote, parking lots were not subject to any Citywide zoning requirements that ensured vehicle maneuverability or environmentally friendly design. According … <Read More>