City Council Approves Zoning Text Amendment for Permanent Open Restaurants Program

City Council still needs to pass legislation establishing the program. On February 24, 2022, the City Council voted to approve the zoning text amendment that will remove geographical restrictions where sidewalk cafes can operate across the city. This vote completes the first step in the creation of a permanent open restaurant program. 



City Council Holds First Hearing on Permanent Open Restaurants Plan

Many elected officials raised concerns about DOT’s ability to handle the scale and capacity of a citywide permanent open restaurants program. On February 8, 2022, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a joint hearing with the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection on the proposed permanent open restaurant program. The proposed permanent open restaurant program will replace the temporary program and establish a new streamlined program for the creation, management and enforcement <Read More>


Mayor Adams Appoints Parks Leadership

On February 4, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his appointments to lead the Department of Parks and Recreation. The appointments are Susan M. Donoghue as Commissioner of the Parks Department, and Iris Rodriguez-Rosa as First Deputy Commissioner. The appointments are the latest in Mayor Adams’ new administration. 


Mayor Adams Appoints Climate Leadership Team

The combination of agencies aims to reduce redundancy and enhance integrated work. On January 31, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his administration’s climate leadership team and changes to the City’s executive agencies that handle environmental justice. Three appointments were announced: Rohit T. Aggarwala as the chief climate officer and Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); Vincent Sapienza as the chief operations officer of DEP; and Kitty Charles-Guzman as the executive director of the <Read More>


City Agencies Announce Completion of Expansion of Montefiore Square in West Harlem

Some of the upgrades include new benches, lighting, and trees. On January 27, 2022, the Departments of Design and Construction (DDC), Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection (DEP), and Parks and Recreation announced the completion of renovations to Montefiore Square in Harlem. Montefiore Square is a triangular plaza located between West 138th Street, Hamilton Place and Broadway.