Many of us in the NY real estate and building industries, with the exception of zoning attorneys and consultants) have long felt that New York City's zoning ordinance is too complex . After 20 years working with it, there are occasionally still things i can't figure out-- even with the text in front of me. Similarly, i have gotten different answers on the same issue from different staff members down at City Planning. That is a sure sign something is wrong.
In May, the Architect's Newspaper ran an article entitled Zoning Out Junk Food
Planners offer FAR bonus for fresh produce.
In short, the city is considering zoning bonuses in certain areas if landlords rent to a supermarket or grocery store. You can just imagine all the practical difficulties that could crop up, particularly as tenancies change.
Planning commissioner Burden was quoted as saying that "in some neighborhoods people spend their entire food budget at Duane Reade". A very insightful comment based on deep field research!
I'm also sure if you look hard enough you can find one guy who eats nothing but kentucky fried chicken. Remember that guy Jared on the TV commercials who ate nothing but Subway and lost 200 pounds (or some big number of lbs.) . Way to go Jared!
We recognize that some areas don't have a lot of grocery stores and others have lousy grocery stores. But these kinds of initiatives are exactly the sort of thinking that has made the zoning code way too complex.
I would scrap the whole damned thing and start again but that's rationality, not politics.
In May, the Architect's Newspaper ran an article entitled Zoning Out Junk Food
Planners offer FAR bonus for fresh produce.
In short, the city is considering zoning bonuses in certain areas if landlords rent to a supermarket or grocery store. You can just imagine all the practical difficulties that could crop up, particularly as tenancies change.
Planning commissioner Burden was quoted as saying that "in some neighborhoods people spend their entire food budget at Duane Reade". A very insightful comment based on deep field research!
I'm also sure if you look hard enough you can find one guy who eats nothing but kentucky fried chicken. Remember that guy Jared on the TV commercials who ate nothing but Subway and lost 200 pounds (or some big number of lbs.) . Way to go Jared!
We recognize that some areas don't have a lot of grocery stores and others have lousy grocery stores. But these kinds of initiatives are exactly the sort of thinking that has made the zoning code way too complex.
I would scrap the whole damned thing and start again but that's rationality, not politics.
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