NYC Land Use Bulletin: City Planning Releases Easy Guide to New Zoning Text Amendments
Department of City Planning Releases Easy Guide to “Zoning for Quality and Affordability” Text Amendments
City Planning has released a user-friendly summary of Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) text amendments, a targeted set of zoning changes aimed to support the creation of affordable and senior housing and to promote better quality residential building throughout the city.
Designed for both developers and the general public, this overview condenses several hundred pages of zoning text into a clear and detailed summary of all the zoning changes adopted in ZQA compared to the regulations that existed previously. In the appendix you will find handy summary charts that show the basic height limits in each district, heights limits for affordable housing in non-contextual and contextual zoning districts, and Floor Area Ratio (FARs) for Affordable Independent Residences for Seniors (AIRS) and Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF).
These zoning changes, which have been in effect since March 22, are far-reaching and applicable in all five boroughs. They affect different aspects of developments and enlargements, as well as create new opportunities for senior and affordable housing. The City Council approved the Zoning for Quality and Affordability together with the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. Taken together, both initiatives are key pieces of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to promote affordable housing throughout the City.
ZQA is a targeted set of zoning changes to support the creation of affordable and senior housing throughout the city and to promote better quality residential building. The three broad categories of adopted changes include:
- Reduced Parking requirements for affordable and senior housing, with elimination of parking within the new transit zone.
- Changes to make it easier to provide the range of affordable senior housing and senior and long term care facilities needed to meet the needs of this growing segment of the city’s population;
- Facilitating inclusionary housing buildings and other high quality buildings by increasing allowable buildings heights and changing other bulk and zoning rules to better accommodate the floor area allowed by zoning and provide additional design flexibility.
Helpful Links
- Read City Planning’s “Zoning for Quality and Affordability” overview here (PDF): http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans-studies/zqa/adoption-overview.pdf
- For a detailed overview of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability, read our Land Use Bulletin Historic Agreement Announced on Affordable Housing Initiatives
- Department of City Planning Website: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/index.page
- NYC Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) Website: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/hpd/index.page
Capalino Can Help
Capalino has been working with clients in understanding how these changes apply to their sites, and identifying affordable housing and other development opportunities created by these new regulations.
Get in touch today to discuss the implications and opportunities for your sites and developments.
Claire Haaga Altman
Executive Vice President of Affordable Housing + Community Development
Work: 212-616-5839
Cell: 917-721-8103
Claire@nullcapalino.com
Richard Barth
Executive Vice President of Housing + Real Estate Strategies
Work: 212-616-5845
Cell: 917-860-2711
Richard@nullcapalino.com
Christopher Collins
Executive Vice President of Land Use + Real Estate Strategies
Christopher@nullcapalino.com
212-616-5848
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