Viewing page 8 of 56

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

population growth well beyond any anticipated increases for the next several decades.

The changes as indicated in the proposed Resolution reflect what we believe are equitable adjustments, revisions and clarifications in terms of the economic, social and technical goals of good zoning.

There were 723 requests for map changes ranging from single lots to whole sections, received or recommended by the Commission. Of these, 366 - affecting some 500 districts - were granted: 50 in Richmond, 59 in the Bronx, 59 in Manhattan, 93 in Brooklyn and 105 in Queens. In general, these changes adjusted bulks and densities in apartment house areas to reflect the influence of land costs and other economic factors and to extend the protection of low bulk and density regulations to additional residential districts outside the core of the City.

A new R9 District, suggested by the American Institute of Architects, was added to fill a gap in maximum Floor Area Ratio between the former R8 and R9 Districts. The latter is now designated as R10. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is indicated by decimals - .50 or 15.00 instead of the consultants' 50 or 1500.

Following the suggestions of architectural groups and builders, the density regulations were restated and simplified. FAR, Open Space Ratio, and Lot Area per Room regulations are now geared to building heights. Accompanying charts will help the builder determine more rapidly what controls apply. Bonuses for added open space are built into the interrelated controls. Plaza bonuses were increased and arcade bonuses added. Density regulations are expressed in a single factor of required lot area per room, eliminating the need for varying the room factor according to size of apartment.

Commercial Districts were subject to adjustments in use, bulk and parking regulations, with attention to the needs of districts in the more congested sections of the City. In Manufacturing Districts, mapping of M2 and M3 areas was extended to meet additional need. Also, manufacturing performance standards were simplified and revised with the assistance of the Departments of Air Pollution Control and Health.

Legal aspects of the Resolution, including enforcement, administration and non-conforming uses, were carefully reviewed and revised. It was decided for example, to reject the recommendation for a Zoning Administrator. Legibility was considered - the new zoning maps will be twice the scale of those in the earlier proposal.

DELAY IS HARMFUL

As we have pointed out many times before, zoning is not a cure-all for every municipal problem. But it does serve as a guideline to a City whose continuing strength, vitality and pre-eminence is blunted by blight, congestion and overcrowding. This new Resolution, firm and yet flexible, is designed for a dynamic city. It will insure as we continue to build and rebuild, that we will have strength, resiliency and the ability to cope with change.

It is not too late to establish modern zoning in New York. Every delay, however, will make any attempt to plan a better city that much more difficult, and prove more costly to the welfare of our residents, our commerce and industry, and to our reputation as the world's greatest metropolitan center.

James Felt