Director of DCP Marisa Lago holds review session as the sole Commissioner in physical attendance on March 16, 2020. Other Commissioners attended the meeting remotely, in an attempt to keep the ULURP process moving before Mayor de Blasio’s Executive Order was signed. Image Credit: NYC CPC
The executive order freezes land use applications so public meetings do not need to occur. On March 16, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Emergency Executive Order #100, which laid out several steps of the City’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. In the interest of limiting public gatherings to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, Emergency Executive Order #100 freezes land use applications that have a timed review or vote requirement. This includes applications within the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) as well as applications before the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Emergency Executive Order also waived the City Charter’s requirement to hold at least two City Council stated meetings per month. As a result, Landmarks, community boards, Borough Presidents, the City Planning Commission and the City Council do not have to meet to take action on active land use applications. (read more…)
Building on left demonstrates the current issue with excessive mechanical voids. Image Credit: NYC CPC
The proposal discourages clustering mechanical voids in a way that inflates building heights. On January 28, 2019, the CPC announced the beginning of public review of the proposed rezoning plan to limit the use of excessive voids that artificially inflate tower heights in residential buildings. Currently, these voids, or multiple floors of empty space, are not counted as zoning floor area in the Zoning Resolution. (read more…)
Proposal would establish off-street parking regulations for car-share vehicles, such as those offered through Zipcar. On April 26, 2010, the City Planning Commission announced that the Department of City Planning’s proposed car-share parking zoning text amendment would begin a public review process. Car-sharing companies like Zipcar and Connect by Hertz provide vehicles to registered members on an as-needed basis for a fee. The vehicles are typically available 24 hours a day. Members can reserve cars by phone or the internet and can pick up and drop off cars at the same location. Members are charged by the hour or by miles driven. According to Planning, New York City accounts for approximately one-third of national car-sharing memberships, and car-share members are less likely to purchase their own vehicle.
The City did not contemplate the concept of car sharing when parking regulations were created in 1961. As a result, the zoning resolution does not contain clear rules on where car share vehicles are permitted to park. Car-sharing companies are now looking to expand, and the amendment would establish regulations permitting car-share vehicles to park in certain off-street public and accessory parking facilities. The proposal would build on the City’s commitment to promote sustainable modes of transportation and to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. (read more…)
