Floor 13 In Buildings
Abbey Synnott
This glossary provides brief explanations of planning and zoning terminology, including terms highlighted in the Zoning Handbook. Words and phrases followed by an asterisk (*) in the Glossary are legally defined terms in the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York, and can be found primarily in Section 12-10 of the Resolution for the complete legal definitions.
A semi-detached building* is a building that abuts or shares a wall, on a side lot line, with another building on an adjoining zoning lot and where the remaining sides of the building are surrounded by open areas or street lines.
A commercial overlay is a C1 or C2 district mapped within residential districts to serve local retail needs (grocery stores, dry cleaners, restaurants, for example). Commercial overlay districts, designated by the letters C1-1 through C1-5 and C2-1 through C2-5, are shown on the zoning maps as a pattern superimposed on a residential district.
A transfer of development rights (TDR) allows for the transfer of unused development rights from one zoning lot to another in limited circumstances, usually to promote the preservation of historic buildings, open space or unique cultural resources. For such purposes, a TDR may be permitted where the transfer could not be accomplished through a zoning lot merger. In the case of a landmark building, for example, a transfer may be made by CPC special permit from the zoning lot containing the designated landmark to an adjacent zoning lot or one that is directly across a street or, for a corner lot, another corner lot on the same intersection.
A dormer is a permitted obstruction within a required setback area that may exceed the height of a building. In lower-density districts, it is often a window protruding from a sloped roof to provide light and air to the top floors of homes. In R6 through R10 contextual districts, dormers are portions of buildings allowed to penetrate a required setback above the maximum base height in order to provide variety to the base heights of buildings along a street. Both types of dormers are subject to size limitations.
The Inclusionary Housing Program provides two optional floor area incentives in exchange for the creation or preservation of affordable housing, on or off-site, predominantly for low-income households.
The original R10 Program provides a floor area bonus of up to 20 percent, increasing the maximum FAR of 10.0 to 12.0 for the provision of affordable housing in applicable residential and commercial districts with R10 density.
In Inclusionary Housing designated areas* mapped in medium- and high-density residential neighborhoods and commercial districts with equivalent density, a bonus of 33 percent of floor area can be obtained for providing 20 percent as affordable housing. The base FAR in designated areas is, in most cases, lower than the maximum FAR allowed in the same zoning district located outside a designated area.
A large-scale development is a development generally involving several zoning lots planned as a unit. Large-scale development regulations allow modifications to various zoning regulations, such as the distribution of floor area without regard to zoning lot lines, by CPC discretionary action. Such modifications can allow for design flexibility to achieve a superior site plan.
A large-scale general development* is a development or enlargement for any uses permitted by the underlying district regulations in commercial districts (except C1, C2, C3 and C4-1 districts) and in all manufacturing districts. The development must be on a tract of land that is at least 1.5 acres and may include existing buildings.
A large-scale residential development* is a development designed predominantly for residential uses in residence districts and in C1, C2, C3 and C4-1 districts. The development must be on a tract of land that is either at least three acres (130,680 sq ft) with a minimum of 500 dwelling units or at least 1.5 acres (65,340 sq ft) with a minimum of three principal residential buildings. Existing buildings may not form any part of a large-scale residential development.
A large-scale community facility development * is a development or enlargement predominantly for community facility uses in residential districts and in C1, C2, C3 and C4-1 districts. The development must be on a tract of land that is at least three acres (130,680 sq ft) and may include existing buildings.
A lot or zoning lot is a tract of land comprising a single tax lot or two or more adjacent tax lots within a block. An apartment building on a single zoning lot, for example, may contain separate condominium units, each occupying its own tax lot. Similarly, a building containing a row of townhouses may occupy several separate tax lots within a single zoning lot, or two or more detached homes on one zoning lot may each have its own tax lot.
The zoning lot is the basic unit for zoning regulations and may be subdivided into two or more zoning lots, and two or more adjoining zoning lots on the same block may be merged, provided that all resulting zoning lots comply with applicable regulations.
When a building contains more than one use, the maximum FAR permitted on the zoning lot is the highest FAR allowed for any of the uses, provided that the FAR for each use does not exceed the maximum FAR permitted for that use. In a C1-8A district, for example, where the maximum commercial FAR is 2.0 and the maximum residential FAR is 7.52, the total permitted FAR for a mixed residential/commercial building would be 7.52, of which no more than 2.0 FAR may be applied to the commercial space.
Front yards are required in R1 through R5 districts; rules governing the depth of open areas at ground level between the front building wall and the street line apply in R6 through R10 districts. Front yards and open areas must be planted and have a minimum depth that meets the following requirements:
In R2A, R3A, R3X, R4A, R4-1 and R5A districts, if the adjacent front yards are deeper than the minimum required front yard, a new building must provide a front yard at least as deep as one of the adjacent yards, but it need not be deeper than 20 feet.
In R4B, R5B and R5D districts, if the adjacent front yards are deeper than the minimum required front yard, then the front yard of a new building must be at least as deep as one adjacent front yard and no deeper than the other, but it need not be deeper than 20 feet.
R6B, R7B and R8B In R6B, R7B and R8B districts, the street wall of a new building, on any lot up to 50 feet wide, must be as deep as one adjacent wall and no deeper than the other. On lots wider than 50 feet, the street wall of a new building may be no closer to the street line than the street wall of an adjacent building. A street wall need not be located farther from the street line than 15 feet.
R6A, R7A and R7X In R6A, R7A, 7D and R7X districts, the street wall of a new building may be located no closer to the street line than the street wall of any building within 150 feet on the same blockfront, but need not be located farther from the street line than 15 feet.
A small sidewalk cafe* is an unenclosed sidewalk cafe containing no more than a single row of tables and chairs in a space no greater than 4 feet from the street line, with no barrier between the caf and the sidewalk.
A street is any road (other than a private road), highway, parkway, avenue, alley or other way shown on the City Map, or a way at least 50 feet wide and intended for public use which connects a way shown on the City Map to another such way or to a building or structure. A street refers to the entire public right-of-way (including public sidewalks).
A wide street* is a street that is 75 feet or more in width. Most bulk regulations applicable to wide streets are also applicable to buildings on intersecting streets within 100 feet of a wide street.
A tower is a portion of a building that penetrates the sky exposure plane and is allowed only in specified high-density areas of the city. A tower may be occupied by residential, commercial or community facility uses.
The standard tower rules generally permit the tower portion of a building to cover no more than 40 percent of the area of the zoning lot, or up to 50 percent on lots smaller than 20,000 square feet. The tower portion of a building must be set back at least 10 feet from a wide street and at least 15 feet from a narrow street. These regulations are modified for different uses and districts.
A tower-on-a-base requires a contextual base between 60 and 85 feet high that extends continuously along the street line. The height of the tower is controlled by a minimum lot coverage requirement and a rule that at least 55 percent of the floor area on the zoning lot be located below a height of 150 feet. On a wide street in R9 and R10 districts and their C1 or C2 equivalents, a building that includes a residential tower must comply with tower-on-a-base regulations in addition to the standard tower rules.
A waterfront area is the geographical area adjacent to a body of water at least 100 feet wide, comprising all blocks between the pierhead line and a parallel line 800 feet landward from the shoreline. Blocks within the waterfront area are subject to waterfront zoning regulations.
A waterfront public access area (WPAA) is the portion of a waterfront zoning lot where publicly accessible open space is provided to and along the shoreline. All WPAAs are required to be improved with landscaping and trees, seating and other amenities. WPAAs can include a shore public walkway, an upland connection, a supplemental public access area, a public access area on a pier or floating structure, or any additional area improved for public use. The minimum amount of waterfront public access area required is a specified percentage for the zoning lot.
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