Saying “Yes” to the “City of Yes”
Last week, we discussed how inaction in Albany stands in the way of an affordable, vibrant New York City. Now, I’d like to give an overview of the city’s toolbox to combat a cost of living crisis. New York City officials are proposing broad changes to zoning rules and building codes to make the city more sustainable, more cost-effective, and more business-friendly.
In June 2022, Mayor Eric Adams introduced an ambitious proposal titled the “City of Yes” — think of it as the mayor’s “Build Back Better” for New York City. Officials pledged that the three-part proposal would spur new housing development, create new jobs, improve transit access, and lessen the city’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” seeks to bring the city closer to complying with its 2014 “80 x 50” goal — an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The building code amendments would allow over 50,000 older buildings to install new, more sustainable HVAC and electrical systems and would ax city-issued wall thickness and height restrictions. The zoning code changes would eliminate the cap on rooftop solar panels, shorten the approval process for new solar installations, and double the number of electrical vehicle parking spots across the city. The plan also would permit permeable roads and “rain gardens” to repurpose stormwater, avoid wastewater backups, and provide more greenery within city neighborhoods.
The “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” aims to tackle the rising number of vacant storefronts caused by a shift to e-commerce, rising rents, and lower foot traffic during the pandemic. The proposal seeks to loosen zoning restrictions to allow microbreweries, ceramics shops, garment manufacturers, and other “small scale, clean manufacturers” to occupy street level and upper floor commercial space. The plan would permit comedy clubs and music venues to use restaurant space within commercial areas, allow lab space near universities and hospitals, eliminate bans on indoor agriculture and cannabis growth facilities, and authorize more home businesses.
The “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” seeks to combat the surging housing prices we discussed last week by creating new market-rate and affordable units. The zoning code’s amendments aim to create more housing, repurpose underused sites into housing, and reduce the amount of land needed to do so. The plan would allow more affordable housing construction on less land, similar to the exemption presently given to senior housing. The proposal would also permit basement apartments in single-family homes, allow micro-units with shared bathrooms, and eliminate the minimum parking space requirement for new buildings. It would also begin a feasibility study on how to cut red tape for developers seeking to convert vacant commercial space into homes.
The most lauded portion of the housing proposal seeks to loosen restrictions on floor-to-area ratio (FAR), which restrict the square footage of a building based on lot size. FAR restrictions originate from a 1961 building code amendment where the State Legislature banned any new residential building from exceeding a FAR of 12. For example, a residential building on a 4,000-square-foot lot cannot exceed 48,000 square feet. Housing advocates often decry tight FAR restrictions as archaic, obstructionist, and unconducive to the goal of building more housing in an increasingly cramped city.
Mayor Adams’s proposals are comprehensive and ambitious. The plans would embark on a widespread overhaul of how New Yorkers exist within New York City. The City Planning Board sent the “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” to the City Council for final approval after community board hearings drew minimal opposition. The remaining three plans will reach the City Planning Board after community board review. Still, for now, they’re merely text proposals. While the various amendments outlined in the “City of Yes” may appear attractive to a diverse coalition now, stances may shift once changes are made.
New presences within an established neighborhood will create warranted debates about the area’s changing character. For example, the first development to benefit from loosened FAR regulations and the first clean manufacturer in Midtown will likely face formidable, localized opposition. Residents may be concerned that positive changes will increase rents or taxes, which could push them out of their homes. Locals may decry negative changes as a threat to home values or their health and safety. Land use experts are well aware of (and make careers off) the Catch-22 associated with repurposing space within communities.
Point being, Mayor Adams and his team crafted attractive amendments that will satisfy the needs of many New Yorkers. However, the proposal will become far less alluring to many individuals — regardless of their neighborhood, class, or political views — once the proposals make changes in their own backyards.
As promised, I’ll include a “hit and miss” every week. But, this one is a little challenging because one of my LEAST favorite buildings is our “hit,” and one of my FAVORITES is our “miss.” But I’m not here to be the judge of architecture; I’m merely finding examples of creative floor-to-area ratio usage.
See you next week!
All this for 60 condos? Yikes…
Photo Credits to CNN
The Steinway Tower stands 1,400 feet tall on West 57th Street supported by a measly 4,800 square foot base. It houses only 60 units across over 300,000 square feet. But, given its creative design, the FAR complies with state guidelines.
Sometimes, beauty needs to trump efficiency.
Photo Credits to Compass
A bit uptown on West 81st Street and Central Park West, the Beresford is a 22-story co-op built in 1929. It precedes the FAR regulations, but the 600,000 square feet of floor space on 24,000 square feet of land wouldn’t pass today’s smell test. Even if it were subject to the restrictions, I’m sure its famous tenants like Jerry Seinfeld could convince the city that it’s all kosher.
