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PRESENTATION
Town center zoning and transit-oriented development in low-density areas
0:29:41
ยท
3 min
Garodnick explains two key proposals for increasing housing in low-density areas: town center zoning and transit-oriented development. These initiatives aim to create more housing opportunities in strategic locations within low-density neighborhoods.
- Town center zoning would relegalize housing above businesses on commercial streets in low-density areas
- It would allow 2 to 4 stories of housing above a commercial ground floor, with a maximum of a five-story building
- Transit-oriented development would enable 3, 4, or 5-story apartment buildings on certain qualifying blocks within a half-mile of transit
- Both proposals aim to match the scale and character of existing buildings that can no longer be built under current zoning
- Examples of similar existing buildings in various neighborhoods are provided to illustrate the intended outcomes
Daniel Garodnick
0:29:41
Next slide.
0:29:43
The first piece here is town center zoning.
0:29:47
We want to relegalize housing above businesses on commercial streets in low density areas.
0:29:54
So you take those areas and zoning that are commercial overlays.
0:29:59
They're defined as commercial overlays, places where you can do commerce and residential areas.
0:30:04
They're sprinkled here on the map.
0:30:06
You can see them in red.
0:30:07
This is where we have commercial overlays in zoning.
0:30:09
And we would say, as part of this proposal, that we would like to enable 2 to 4 stories of housing above a commercial ground floor.
0:30:17
Mirroring existing buildings that are frequently out there.
0:30:21
You can see in the bottom left of this slide, you can see a a three stories above a commercial ground floor that exists.
0:30:29
And I will note, in New York City, we have 14,693 of these buildings in our 1 and 2 family districts today.
0:30:40
They are well known.
0:30:41
They are well recognized, but they are nonconforming because you cannot build them today.
0:30:46
We want to relegalize those 2, 3, or 4 stories of addition on top of a commercial ground floor.
0:30:55
So that would give you a maximum of a five story building on a commercial ground floor.
0:30:59
That's town center zoning.
0:31:00
Next, Transit oriented development, very similar here, except this one is defined not by being above a commercial ground floor, but it's being defined by proximity to transit.
0:31:12
So we would enable here 3, 4, or 5 storey apartment buildings on certain qualifying blocks.
0:31:20
So if you're within a half mile of transit and on a site that is over 5000 square feet and on a wide street or on the short end of a block, you would have an eligible site to be able to do a three story apartment building, a four story apartment building, and a five story apartment below.
0:31:37
Note, it's not your choice as to whether it's 3, 4, or 5.
0:31:40
The zoning defines, whether it is 3, 4, or 5.
0:31:43
3 would be in your lowest density low density neighborhoods, 4 at the next step up, and 5 at the absolute maximum.
0:31:52
So that is transitory into development.
0:31:55
Next slide.
0:31:59
This modest missing middle type of apartment building that we're talking about here would match the scale and character of existing buildings that can no longer be built.
0:32:11
You see here examples, in Murray Hill, Queens, Bath Beach in Brooklyn, City Island in the Bronx.
0:32:18
Next.
0:32:21
Sheep said Bay, Pelham Bay, Middle Village And Queens, they are there.
0:32:28
They were legal before 1961.
0:32:31
Now they are nonconforming and cannot be built.
0:32:34
Next.
0:32:38
Saint George, Staten Island, Bay Ridge, Woodhaven, Next slide.
0:32:46
Okay.
0:32:48
Now you have the missing middle type apartment buildings, 345 stories, on sites that are eligible near transit, also above commercial strips.