WTC site damage assessment map, Sept 21, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

History, Guggenheim Museum Soho, Frances Tavern Museum, and the Skyscraper Museum.

The Department of City Planning is responsible for the City’s physical and socioeconomic planning, including land use and environmental review. New York City is divided into three basic zoning districts: residential (R), commercial (C) and manufacturing (M). These three basic categories are subdivided by the intensity of use, for retail or manufacturing categories, parking, building bulk or residential density. Zoning regulations do not apply to public parks. The last comprehensive New York City Zoning Resolution was enacted in 1961. In the past 35 or so years, new development of land has been shaped by 1961 zoning maps and a niunber of map amendments. In 1998, the Lower Manhattan Special District was adopted as a major component of the Mayor’s Revitalization Plan for Lower Manhattan (City Planning Commission Report 1998). New height and setback controls allow design flexibility and encourage new development. New regulations for the waterfront (i.e., Waterfront Revitalization Program) have promoted integrated development and new open space opportunities. The Manhattan area is zoned for predominantly commercial uses. The maximum size of a building on a lot is determined by the floor area ratio (FAR) assigned by the Zoning Resolution to each zoning district (Department of City Planning undated). A building can contain floor area equal to the lot area multiplied by the floor area ratio of the district in which the lot is located. The lowest FAR in any district is 0.5 and the highest FAR is 15, in the highest density office districts. Population density is controlled by the requirement that a specified number of square feet per lot area are provided by dwelling unit or room.

The Department of Buildings, the Board of Standards and Appeals, and the City Planning Commission are responsible for administering the Zoning Resolution. In addition, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Health, and the Department of Ports and Trades are responsible for enforcement and administrative functions that relate to their operations within their jurisdiction. The Department of Buildings reviews applications for building permits, issues certificates of occupancy and makes all inspections relating to compliance with the Zoning Resolution. Zoning changes enacted in 1995 and 1996 eliminated the density penalty that had applied to the conversion of commercial buildings to residential use in high density (R 10 or equivalent) zoning districts in lower Manhattan.

Certain developments request modification of zoning regulations to ensure a better building or site plan. Review of these projects is required. Some development is allowed only by special permit granted by the City Planning Commission with City Council review or by Board of Standards and A^ pears. Special permits are also subject to Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) review process. Projects that have greater land use impacts or involve significant planning issues are under the jurisdiction of the City Planning Commission. At its discretion, the City Planning Commission may modify certain zoning requirements provided that specific findings of the Zoning Resolution are met. For some as-of-right development, the City Planning Commission or the Chairperson of the City Planning Commission is required to administratively certify

3-32

NYC-WTC_000141617