Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel/Image Credit: John McCarten/NYC Council
The bill will help protect community gardens and allow them to remain in the City. On March 29, 2020, Introduction 1652-A was enacted into Local Law 46 of 2020. Local Law 46 requires the Department of City Planning to reclassify tax lots currently used as GreenThumb community gardens on the Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output (“PLUTO”) database. The PLUTO database has information on the City’s tax lots. Currently, tax lots with GreenThumb community gardens are classified on PLUTO as “vacant lots.” Under Local Law 46, these tax lots will be reclassified under a new category that indicates that the lot is being used as a community garden. The law, sponsored by Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, was proposed to protect community garden tax lots from being used for development.
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Proposed Zoning Map Amendment Image Credit: City Planning
Hotel special permitting fails to address other types of development in the Union Square South area. On January 22, 2020, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application by the Department of City Planning for an expansion of the Special Union Square District, and the establishment of a special permit requirement for new hotel development in the expansion area.
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Rending of the development along Broome Street Image Credit: City Planning
New development on Lower East Side set to transform the entire Broome Street corridor. On December 4, 2019, the City Planning Commission heard an application by Go Broome LLC and the Chinatown Planning Council HDFC to rezone and develop a large-scale, mixed-use development on the Lower East Side. The proposed development includes mixed-income housing, affordable senior housing, program and office space for the Chinese American Planning Council, congregation space for the landmarked Beth Hamedrash Hagodol Synagogue, and commercial retail space.
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Zoning Application Portal Search Features Image Credit: City Planning
City Planning continues to improve online platforms to involve and inform community. On December 17, 2019, the Department of City Planning announced two updates to the Zoning Application Portal (“ZAP”). The first update will allow Community Boards, Borough Presidents and Borough Boards to digitally calendar public hearings for land use items. The second update permits Community Boards and Borough Presidents to instantaneously upload their recommendations to the online portal. These two features are intended to “smooth out” and “speed up” the process of calendaring hearings and filing recommendations by centralizing the information on a single website.
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Graphic from Geography of Jobs Report shows comparison of number of jobs added to number of units permitted across the region. Image Credit: NYC DCP
The 2019 report shows that the economy expanded faster than housing. On October 30, 2019, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago announced the release of the 2019 Geography of Jobs report. This is the City’s second report on shifting growth patterns concentrating jobs and housing pressures in New York City and other urban areas. (read more…)
Top Image: Council Member Fernando Cabrera/Image Credit: Jeff Reed
Bottom Image: Council Member Ben Kallos/Image Credit: John McCarten
The four proposed bills would provide the community and elected officials with the tools to make informed decisions about developments in their neighborhoods. On September 26, 2019, the City Council’s Land Use and Governmental Operations Committees held a hearing on four proposed bills that will increase transparency regarding new developments in the City, specifically with the transfer of development rights and testimony at the Board of Standards and Appeals. The four bills are a response to the recent development of supertall out-of-context skyscrapers in the City and the lack of information provided to the community during the development process.
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