NYC Planning Department Announces Zoning Relief Proposal for Staten Island Homeowners - DCP

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For Immediate Release
April 3, 2023

Contacts:
Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

NYC Planning Department Announces Zoning Relief Proposal for Staten Island Homeowners

Initiative would ease burden on small properties and homeowners,
while improving oversight on large lots and natural resources

NEW YORK – Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced that, following years of planning with Staten Island communities, DCP would refer out its South Richmond Zoning Relief proposal, which will simplify zoning and planning procedures for homeowners, enhance the preservation of natural features, and give the community greater oversight of sensitive sites in the Special South Richmond Development District (SSRDD). The proposal builds on Mayor Adams’ 111 proposals to streamline the processes of land use – included in his BLAST, or “Get Stuff Built” report – and to make them work more efficiently.

This initiative was developed in conjunction with the offices of Borough President Vito Fossella, Jr. and City Council Minority Leader Joseph C. Borelli, Staten Island Community Board 3, the Building Industry Association of NYC, and the Staten Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

“For years, South Richmond homeowners have been hamstrung by needlessly complicated rules and a tangled web of red tape. Now, our administration has come to the table with Borough President Fossella, Councilmember Borelli, and our partners in the community to ‘Get Stuff Done,’” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This proposal will make families’ lives easier, empower this community, and bring out the natural beauty of Staten Island.”

“With smart zoning and regulations, we can ensure government is working for New Yorkers. For too long, residents in the unique Special South Richmond Development District have faced onerous requirements to make even the smallest improvements to their homes, and in a way that does not further broader policy goals. We’re pleased to be moving forward with the Zoning Relief proposal that simplifies these regulations while also strengthening the protection of important natural areas,” said Dan Garodnick, Department of City Planning Director and Chair of the City Planning Commission.

“We’re supportive of clear and concise rules that are not unnecessarily complicated and costly for homeowners to complete a simple improvement to their property. This zoning relief proposal can help minimize the cost and time for residents by streamlining those processes. We encourage the public to get involved with their thoughts and suggestions on how to improve the recommendations,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, Jr.

“Under the current rules, a homeowner in the SSRDD has to navigate a labyrinth of time-consuming regulations and approvals just to make a simple improvement on a property. This new proposal removes many of those unnecessary barriers, while striking the proper balance between protecting property rights and preserving the natural environment and unique character of these communities,” said City Council Minority Leader Joseph C. Borelli.

“Over the past several months, we have worked collectively and come up with a proposal that will benefit the residents of the South Richmond District. We are delighted this proposal is moving into public review,” said Staten Island Community Board 3 Land Use Chairman Tom Barlotta.

DCP began preliminary outreach in the summer of 2022 to gather initial feedback on the overall framework of the proposal followed by three Working Group meetings on the following topics:

November 2022 – Overview of SSRDD Goals and Regulations

The Working Group discussed ‘top 8’ existing SSRDD rules and established levels of consensus regarding the proposed updates.

December 2022 – SSRDD Authorizations and Discretionary Review

Each stakeholder shared their overall values and top priorities to consider during review and indicated levels of review for conceptual scenarios.

February 2023 – Overview of Draft Zoning Framework

DCP shared a very high-level overview of the draft zoning framework compared to the existing framework and solicited initial feedback from the Working Group.

The Zoning Relief proposal is expected to begin public review on April 10, at which point the public, community board, Borough President, City Planning Commission, and City Council will have further opportunities to weigh in on the city’s proposal. Learn more about the proposal here.

Background on the Special South Richmond Development District

Residents of the Special South Richmond Development District have long complained of a complex and burdensome process for small projects, forcing homeowners to spend time and money to request City Planning Commission approvals on minor projects. Additionally, the community has asked why the current regulations don’t provide the same scrutiny on larger sites with sensitive natural features that impact the public realm and neighborhood character.

The Zoning Relief proposal will alleviate this unique burden on homeowners within the Special District, while preserving the key goals of South Richmond, by:

Creating homeowner friendly zoning changes that simplify the approval process and remove red tape for small properties and individual homeowners on sites under one acre.

Improving regulations to give the City Planning Commission and Community Board greater oversight on larger sensitive sites over one acre that have a significant impact on Staten Island residents and the public realm.

Providing greater predictability for natural feature preservation and neighborhood character with clearer rules based on 50 years of best practices.

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.