Image via NYC Planning
Updated 11/18: You can watch a replay of the presentation on YouTube.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, the Department of City Planning reps will present an informational presentation on the "City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" text amendment during Community Board 3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee.
The amendment — revealed in June — is the second of three proposed zoning text amendments from Mayor Adams designed to address what his administration calls outdated zoning issues. (You can find an overview here... a video of the info session is here.)
As CityLand noted...
"The City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" amendment aims to support small business growth through four pillars: revitalizing commercial corridors, filling vacant storefronts, modernizing use regulations, and investments in key growth industries. The changes to the zoning text aim to remove obstacles that slow down or prevent the growth and development of small businesses.
And from the Commercial Observer...
"City of Yes" will also scrap the last piece of the city's cabaret law, which prohibits dancing in some bars and restaurants, depending on the underlying commercial zoning. It would also eliminate a two-year clock on vacancy for nonconforming retail in residential areas, which currently prohibits a storefront from being reoccupied as retail if it's been empty for more than two years. Businesses would also be allowed on the same floor as apartments and even allowed above them in some commercial areas, as long as there are separate entrances for apartment residents and retail tenants.
Here's what the Cooper Square Committee had to say about it in a recent Instagram post:
Cooper Square Committee hasn't yet taken a position yet about the proposed changes, but we will be talking to [East Village Independent Merchants Association] members and other commercial tenants, as well as analyzing local retail data and trends to determine what position to take over the next month or two.
We encourage residents and small business owners to read up on the proposed changes to learn more about them ...
The nine-month Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP!) started on Oct. 30 and will be heard at all 52 local community boards in the city. Then! It will then move to the borough presidents, City Planning and City Council, who are expected to vote on the final text amendment this spring.
The Land Use Committee meeting (Nov. 15) starts at 6:30 p.m. You can watch via Zoom here. In Person: Community Board 3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Ave. and the Bowery. Limited seating is available to the first 15 people.
Outdated zoning issues, i.e. we need more tax revenue and we need it now and we don't care what kind of dystopian hellscape we build in your neighborhood. Also love that the infographic uses mostly women and minorities (to deflect criticism) as puppets to mouth the developers talking points. Yeah, the city cares about small businesses, which is why it spent the last few years destroying them. Obvi this is not about small business.
ReplyDeleteOk. Then let's cut the city budget by say 25 percent. That would solve this issue? Right?
DeleteWell, these proposals will certainly get a thorough review! Overall seems pretty positive. Curious to see the plan for commercial stuff inside apartments... That one feels tough.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing in these proposed changes which will benefit small businesses. Don't believe me? Target would be consider mom & pop under these new guidelines. The hospitality industry is hoping to finish their work on making the EV the "entertainment nightlife hub" of NYC. Screw people which need to sleep, screw people who want small shops, use Amazon like everyone else! /s
ReplyDelete@ 7:49 AM
ReplyDeleteWas going to say almost exact same thing. Thanks for saving me the trouble.
@7:49am: You nailed it 100%. This administration is owned by the night-life and restaurant owners, and our quality of life is not factored in at all. This self-serving proposal is just one more way to destroy our neighborhood. Let's have this START on Park Avenue in the 60th-75th Streets, or on Fifth Ave. above 60th St. and then we'll see what a good idea it is.
ReplyDeleteSo like a weed lounge tucked away on the second or third floor of an EV tenement. Sounds great. What could go wrong?
ReplyDeleteThis is frighting businesses and residential already are in the same buildings they're called store fronts the noise and serious disruption of quality of life from Bars and restaurants in the East Village is well documented we don't need more of them turning the lower east side and east village once working class refuges into high end living real estate was bad enough they now want to allow a 32nd Street(btwn5&6th ave) reality to proliferate here we're so f*'d if this goes through
ReplyDeleteAgree with those who've said this isn't about small businesses in the slightest
@11:32am: Or a place that sells or charges lithium-ion batteries for scooters, so we can have more fatal fires that kill people and render entire buildings unlivable. IMO, this would be the 21st century version of the landlord arson that many of us remember from the 1970's and 1980's.
ReplyDeleteThe zoom link above didn't work, try this:
ReplyDeleteLand Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee
Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30pm -- Hybrid Meeting
Community Board 3 Office, 59 East 4th Street (btwn 2nd Ave and Bowery) - limited seating available for public-first 15 people
Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87076043147
By Phone: +1 646 518 9805, +1 929 205 6099 - Webinar ID: 870 7604 3147
BTW "small business" in NY means up to 250 employees, larger for federal standards.
Dance clubs are different than bars in terms of the size and type of folks attending. I like to dance but bars should be considered different from dance clubs and I believe these should require a cabaret license and not just be able to open up anywhere a bar was previously.
I am going to try to tune in to the zoom meeting.
The Zoom link is working now.
ReplyDeleteThe "City of Yes, We Will Contribute to Mayor Adams's Campaign" is more like it.
ReplyDeleteWOW! This is a YIMBY piece of work. I agree that mom & pop types of stores need a break, but this was written by big bucks corporate interests. The EV is already becoming a "canyon" like midtown - with all the new office and condo complexes. No where to be seen are mom and pop stores.
ReplyDeleteIf this proposal goes through as envisioned, along with the casino's uptown, the hood is going to look like Bangkok's partying district sans brothels and bar girls (we already have the weed shops). It could very well be like Santa Con all year long.
Change and progress are inevitable and beneficial, but this primarily benefits those with huge bucks backing them. This proposal needs a lot of input and modifications. But, in the end, we all know the powers that be will get everything they want.
Predatory capitalism in action. This is terrifying! It will make ABNB party neighbors look like amateurs. Can't attend. Does anyone know if this meeting will be available to view later?
ReplyDeleteYes, they said they would post on CB 3’s website. There’s a section on the homepage (on the right, scroll down) with previous info.
ReplyDelete