Council approved six-block contextual downzoning to reflect residential uses that predominate historically commercial area. On October 27, 2010, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone portions of six blocks in Manhattan’s Far West Village from C6-1 to C1-6A. The contextual downzoning impacted the blocks generally bounded by the east side of Washington Street between West 12th and West 10th Streets and the west side of Greenwich Street between Perry and West 10th Streets. Except for a single lot, all the properties within the rezoning area are located in either the Greenwich Village Historic District or the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension.

The Far West Village was historically characterized by a range of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses that reflected the neighborhood’s proximity to the Hudson River’s working waterfront. The area is now characterized by residential uses. Three- to five-story apartment buildings with ground floor retail line the eastern side of Washington Street, and warehouse buildings along Perry and Charles Streets have been converted to residential uses. The majority of the buildings in the area are less than 80 feet in height. (more…)