New-York tribune., 1921-01-09
Few Seek Changes
In Present System
OF Zonino Plan
Success of Law Relating TO
Building Shown in Small
Number Of Applications
Adverse to innovations
By EDWARD Nj. RAssrTr

The greater New York building zone
law has been in operation since July
25, 1916, about four and half years.
The protective requirements are shown
on three maps, know. as height area
q or bulk and use maps. he Nn~rDor
provides that changes in the maps can
be made by the Board Of Estimate. The
aggregate changes are extremely sma.l !
IN area. showing the remarkable per
maHence OF the protection Of the zoning
5 stem. All the changes made since
its adoption affect only about l-3 per
cen. OF the tota! city area zoncd. On
account of war conditions and decrease
Of construction the use map changes
! are the greatest These are l-99th Of
the whole area. Area map changes are
! l-535th and height map changes arc
IL 00Oth OF the whole area.
In tho year 1915 to 1919 inclusive
ninety-thrce applications for changes
were granted b.. the Board Of Estimate
end seventv-two were den ed In lg2o
twenty y-soren were granted and about
the same cine precise number mt yet
ascertalna lc) we're denied These fg-
urges tend % show th0t changes are
not c7sily obtained. This is at it should
be, because whcn an owner builds ac-
coIdlng to the zonIng requirements he
ouFh. to be protected againss easv
changcs Of surrounding reqrirem ents.
Inc total mae cn .nges sin.c the be-
ginN rg 'l9l6-2O. both nclusivel n we
been 1911. There we're four IL. loi5.
forty 1hreo N 1917, twcnty-six m 1918.
twenty in 1919 ID tWonty-scvcn n 1929.
! he small number for 1916 vas dlc TO
the ia" being in operation only five
months and The possib les OF chsnrs
not being widely urdcrs ood In 1917
the peak OF charges was reached. nd in
succeed ng years Only about onc-half as
many changes were made Nach wear. II
would appear from this that duriag The
last three years tho map changes wore
fnlriy proportioned to Tie normal
growth and change of tho city.
Use map changes we're l07, area map
~ and height rnap 3. 1t is quite pos
slblc that as the amount Of new cor
struction increases, more chanees n,o-
portlonateiy will be made IN the area
and height maps.
IN 1916 The four changes ali relaxed
the restr'ctlors; IN 1911, thirty-six re-
laXed and seven strengthened the re-
strlcuons; in 1918. twenty relaxed and
;iX strcngthencd; in 1919, thirteen re-
iaXed and seven strengthened; in 1870
twelve relaxed and fifteen strengthened
In other words, n 1916 there vas no
strengthening, IN 1917 the strcnpthen-
ing "a com. Jared to relaxation rose 10
~ per cent, in 1913 t. 80 per cent IN
1919 tc 5i per cent, aud in 1920 {, 1e5
per cent, whom for the first tirnc tho
strengthening changes exceeded the te
laXing changes These figures showing
relaxation and strengthening arc mos.
gratifying. They show not only Official
support Of the zoning system, but they
show clearly that property owners arc
2raduaily favorimg the Strengthening OF
the zoning reouiremcnts rather than
their relaxation.
Toe building zone system Of New
orA may be deemed a success Other
cities, which have recently adopted It
or arc preparing their maps may well
pc encouraged by the experience Of New
York.