NEW YORK CITY CoMPREHENSWE WATERFRONT PLAN Reclaiming the City's Edge For Public Discussion Summer 1992 DAVID N. DINKINS, Mayor City of New lVrk RICHARD L. SCHAFFER, Director Department of City Planning NYC DCP 92-27 NEW YORK CITY COMPREHENSIVE WATERFRONT PLAN CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMA RY 1 INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE COURSE 1 2 PLANNING FRA MEWORK 5 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 5 LEGAL CONTEXT 7 REGULATORY CONTEXT 10 3 THE NATURAL WATERFRONT 17 WATERFRONT RESOURCES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE 17 Wetlands 18 Significant Coastal Habitats 21 Beaches and Coastal Erosion Areas 22 Water Quality 26 THE PLAN FOR THE NATURAL WATERFRONT 33 Citywide Strategy 33 Special Natural Waterfront Areas 35 4 THE PUBLIC WATERFRONT 51 THE EXISTING PUBLIC WATERFRONT 52 THE ACCESSIBLE WATERFRONT: ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 63 THE PLAN FOR THE PUBLIC WATERFRONT 70 Regulatory Strategy 70 Public Access Opportunities 71 5 THE WORKING WATERFRONT 83 HISTORY 83 THE WORKING WATERFRONT TODAY 85 WORKING WATERFRONT ISSUES 101 THE PLAN FOR THE WORKING WATERFRONT 106 Designation Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas 107 JFK and LaGuardia Airport Areas 114 Citywide Strategy fo r the Wo rking Waterfront 115 6 THE REDEVELOPING WATER FRONT 119 THE REDEVELOPING WATERFRONT TODAY 119 THE IMPORTANCE OF REDEVELOPMENT 122 WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES 125 REDEVELOPMENT CRITERIA 127 THE PLAN FOR THE REDEVELOPING WATERFRONT 128 7 WATER FRONT ZONING PROPOSAL 145 WATERFRONT AREA 146 ZONING LOTS 147 CALCULATING FLOOR AREA ON WATERFRONTAGE loTS 148 DEFINITION OF WATER DEPENDENT & WATERFRONT ENHANCING USES 148 WATERFRONT USE REGULATIONS 152 FLOATING (IN-WATER) STRUCTURES 154 OVERWATER STRUCTURES (PIERS AND PLATFORMS) 156 WATERFRONT PUBLIC ACCESS 162 VISUAL CoRRIDORS 166 HEIGHT AND SETBACK, OPEN SPACE AND YARD REQUIREMENTS 168 PARKING WITHIN THE WATERFRONT AREA 182 8 NEXT STEPS: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 185 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 185 ZONING REFORM 185 CITY MAP CHANGES 186 WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PROGRAM REFORM 187 PUBLIC INVESTMENT 187 COORDINATION 189 APPENDICES A Summary of Reach Recommendations B Waterfront Revitalization Program Policies Bibliography Acknowledgements Credits MAPS 2.0 Coastal Zone Boundary 12 3.0 Wetlands 19 3. 1 Significant Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Designations 23 3.2 Erosion Hazard Areas 25 3.3 New York Harbor Water Quality Goals 27 3.4 Water Pollution Control Plants 29 3.5 Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program 31 3.6 Jamaica Bay Special Natural Waterfront Area 37 3.7 Staten Island Special Natural Waterfront Area 43 3.8 Long Island Sound Special Natural Waterfront Area 46 4.0 Existing Waterfront Public Access/The Bronx 54 4. 1 Existing Waterfront Public Access/Manhattan 56 4.2 Existing Waterfront Public Access/Queens 59 4.3 Existing Waterfront Public Access/Brooklyn 60 4.4 Existing Waterfront Public Access/Staten Island 62 4.5 Waterfront Greenways 67 4.6 Public Waterfro nt Recommendations/The Bronx 73 4.7 Public Waterfront Recommendations/Manhattan 75 4.8 Public Waterfront Recommendations/Queens 77 4.9 Public Waterfront Recommendations/Brooklyn 79 4. 10 Public Waterfront Recommendations/Staten Island 81 5.0 Existing Waterfront Manufacturing Zoning Districts 86 5. 1 Maritime and Water Dependent Industrial Uses 89 5.2 Marina Uses 92 5.3 Commercial Cruise and Excursion Uses 94 5.4 Water�Dependent Tr ansportation 96 5.5 Highway/Rail/Intermodal Network 98 5.6 Utilities and Municipal Wa ter-Dependent Uses 100 5.7 Harbor Drift Project 105 5.8 Significant Maritime/Industrial Areas 108 En o.v Existing Waterfront Residential and Commercial Zoning Districts and Approved Redevelopment Projects 120 6. 1 The Plan for the Redeveloping Wa terfront/The Bronx l35 6.2 The Plan for the Redeveloping Wa terfront/Brooklyn 137 6.3 The Plan fo r the Redeveloping Wa terfront/Manhattan l39 6.4 The Plan for the Redeveloping Wa terfront/Queens 141 6.5 The Plan fo r the Redeveloping Wa terfront/Staten Island 143 FIGURES 2.0 WRP Consistency Review 13 7. 1 Waterfront Area 147 7.2 Waterfront Zoning Lot 149 7.3 Calculating Floor Area 149 7.4 Piers/Platforms: Configuration 157 7.5 Proposed Envelope and Public Access Requirements for Pier Development: High Coverage 159 7.6 Proposed Envelope and Public Access Requirements for Pier Development: R1-R6 Zones 159 7.7 Proposed Envelope and Public Access Requirements for Pier Development: R7- R8 Zones 161 7.8 Proposed Envelope and Public Access Requirements for Pier Development: R9- RlO Zones 161 7.9 Waterfront Public Access (Higher-Density Development) 165 7. 10 Waterfront Access Plan with Visual Corridors 165 7. 11 Waterfront Yard (Lower Density Development) 167 7. 12 Visual Corridors 167 7. 13 Urban Design Case Study: Existing R6A Regulations 170 7. 14 Urban Design Case Study: Existing R6 Height Factor Development Regulations 171 7.15 Urban Design Case Study: Proposed R6 Height & Setback Regulations 173 7. 16 Waterfront Zoning Lot 176 7. 17 Bulk Diagrams: R6 Districts 177 7.18 Bulk Diagrams: R7 Districts 178 7.19 Bulk Diagrams: R8 Districts 179 7.20 Bulk Diagrams: R9 Districts 180 7.2 1 Bulk Diagrams: RIO Districts 181 TABLES 6.0 Bronx: Existing Projects & Proposed Redevelopment Opportunities 134 6. 1 Brooklyn: Existing Projects & Proposed Redevelopment Opportunities 136 6.2 Manhattan: Existing Projects & Proposed Redevelopment Opportunities 138 6.3 Queens: Existing Projects & Proposed Redevelopment Opportunities 140 6.4 Staten Island: Existing Projects & Proposed Redevelopment Opportunities 142 7. 1 Water Dependent Uses 150 7.2 Waterfront Enhancing Uses 151 7.3 Parking for Docks, Sightseeing and Excursion Vessels, and Ferries 154 7.4 Height Controls for Developments Requiring a Special Permit on Floating Structures 155 7.5 Height and Setback Regulations for Piers 158 7.6 Waterfront Public Access Requirements 163 7.7 Lot Coverage, FAR and Density 172 7.8 Maximum Height and Packing Requirements 175 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NEW YORK CITY COMPREHENSIVE WATERFRONT PLAN New York City's waterfront is a valuable but still untapped resource. Decades of declining maritime activity have left much of the city's waterfront dormant. Today, after years of neglect and revitalization attempts stalled by the clash of competing interests, New Yorkers are coming together to fulfill the public's claim to productive use and increased enjoyment of this resource. The Comprehensive Waterfront Plan proposed by the Department of City Planning responds to this extraordinary planning opportunity. For the first time in the city's history, it provides a framework to guide land use along the city's entire 578-mile shoreline in a way that recognizes its value as a natural resource and celebrates its diversity. The plan presents a long­ range vision that balances the needs of environmentally sensitive areas and the working port with opportunities for waterside public access, open space, housing and commercial aC1'ivity. The plan envisions a 21st century waterfront where: • parks and open spaces with a lively mix of activities are within easy reach of communities throughout the city; • people once again swim, fish and boat in clean waters; • natural habitats are restored and well cared for; • maritime and other industries, though reduced in size from their heyday, thrive in locations with adequate infrastructure support; • ferries crisscrossing the city's harbor and rivers, and interconnected systems of bikeways and pedestrian pathways help lessen traffic congestion and air pollution; • panoramic water views of great beauty are preserved or created; and • the city's needs for new housing and jobs for people of diverse income levels are satisfied in attractive and safe surroundings. Fortunately, all of these needs and opportunities can be accommodated in suitable locations on what is arguably the longest and most diverse municipal waterfront in the nation. The city's waterfront encompasses coastal beaches and pristine wetland habitats, small homes set beside lagoons and creeks, high-rise apartments and office buildings with magnificent views of bridges and skylines, parks and espla.1Jades, airports a..1Jd heliports, and bulkheaded areas active with shipping, industry and a variety of municipal uses. The plan capitalizes on the size and diversity of the city's waterfront to address the historic competition between commerce and recreation for use of waterfront land. It seeks to balance these competing interests by recognizing the importance of environmental values, by adjusting to the decline of traditional working waterfront uses, by protecting the city's important maritime assets, and by identifying new opportunities for expanding public. use of the waterfront and for increasing its economic value. i The Comprehensive Waterfront Plan builds on the experience of the past. At the same time, the plan addresses today's conditions and works within a myriad of legal and regulatory parameters affecting the use and development of the city's waterfront. The concept of "public trust", which establishes that certain waterfront benefits are held in trust for all the people, is fundamental to the plan. The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, which led to the creation of the city's Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP), is another important legal basis for the waterfront plan. Although WRP has been a positive influence on waterfront development for almost a decade, a revised and enhanced WRP would better articulate the city's goals for differing sections of the waterfront. The plan is organized around the four principal functions of the waterfront: • The Natural Waterfront, comprising beaches,