I I CB 4 Chel ea 197-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning ropo al 0 Create Housing Opportuniti Community Board 4 I Borough of Manhattan New York City The Chelsea Plan Community Board 4 Chelsea 197 -a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opportunities City of New York Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mayor Department of City Planning Joseph B. Rose, Director Summer 1996 NYC DCP 96·17 INTRODUCTION Under Section 197 -a of the New York City Charter, community boards may propose plans for the development, growth and improvement of land within their districts. Pursuant to the Charter, the City Planning Commission developed and adopted standards and rules of procedure for 197-a plans. Once approved by the Commission and adopted by the City Council, 197 -a plans are intended to serve as policy guides for subsequent actions by city agencies. Community Board 4 Chelsea 197-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opportunities, as modified by the City Planning Commission, is the second community board 197-a plan to be adopted by the city. This report provides information for those interested in the plan's policies and recommendations. It may also be of interest to other community boards considering the 197-a process. This report contains three sections: 1. The City Council resolution, dated May 22, 1996, adopting the plan as modified by the City Planning Commission. 2. The City Planning Commission report, including its consideration and resolution, dated April 10, 1996, approving and modifying the 197-a plan. 3. The proposed Community Board 4 Chelsea J97-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opportunities, as originally submitted by Manhattan Community Board 4 on April 28, 1994. Maps and tables of information are included for reference. Section 1 City Council Resolution City Council resolution, dated May 22, 1996, adopting report recommending approval of the 197 -a plan as modified by the City Planning Commission THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. 1723 Resolution approving the decision of the City Planning Commission on Non-ULURP No. N 940614 NPM, a Section 197-a Plan for Chelsea (L.U. No. 983). By Council Members Eisland and Fields WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission filed with the Council on Apri115, 1996 its decision dated April 10, 1996 (the "Decision"), on the Plan, Community Board 4 Chelsea 197-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opportunities, submitted by Manhattan Community Board 4, pursuant to Section 197-a of the New York City Charter (Non-ULURP No. N 940614 NPM) (the "Plan"); WHEREAS, the Decision is subject to review and action by the Council pursuant to Section 197-d(b)(l) of the City Charter; WHEREAS, the Council held a public hearing on the Decision and Plan on May 16, 1996; WHEREAS, the Council has considered the land use implications and other policy issues relating to the Decision and Plan; and WHEREAS, the Council has considered the relevant environmental issues and the negative declaration, issued on August 17, 1995 (CEQR No. 95DCP047M); RESOLVED: The Council fmds that the. action described herein will have no significant effect on the environment; Pursuant to Sections 197 -a and 197 -d of the City Charter and on the basis of the Decis· and Plan, the Council approves the Decision. Pagt 2 N 940614 NPM Reso. No. 1723 (L.U. No. 983) Adopted. Office of the City Clerk, } The City of New York. } ss.: I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of a Resolution passed by Th of The City of New York on May 22, 1996, on file in this office. City Clerk. Clerk of Council Section 2 City Planning Commission Report City Planning Commission's consideration and resolution, dated April 10, 1996, approving and modifying the 197-a plan CITY PLANNING COMMISSION April 10, 1996/Calendar No. 23 N 940614 NPM IN THE MATTER OF a Plan concerning Chelsea, in Manhattan Community District #4, submitted by Manhattan Community Board #4, for consideration pursuant to Section 197 -a of the New York City Charter. The proposed plan for adoption is called, "Community Board 4 Chelsea 197-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opportunities," CB4, borough of Manhattan. BACKGROUND In 1986, the Chelsea Preservation and Planning Committee, established by Community Board 4 (CB4), contracted with Columbia University to develop planning recommendations for the Chelsea community. The resulting report, Chelsea Today, Chelsea Tomorrow: A Plan for Preservation and Development, formed the basis for the Board's original 197-a Plan, which was submitted to the Department of City Planning (DCP) on July 1, 1987. On June 11, 1992, in accordance with the City Planning Commission's newly adopted 197-a rules, Community Board 4 notified the Department of its intent to resubmit the Plan with minor modifications. The Chelsea Planning and Preservation Committee revised portions of the Plan and, after a public hearing and adoption by the Board on April 6, 1994, submitted the revised Plan, called Community Board 4 Chelsea 197-a Plan: A Contextual Zoning Proposal to Create Housing Opponunities, to DCP on April 28, 1994. PLAN DESCRIPTION The study area of Manhattan Community Board 4' s proposed 197 -a Plan comprises 64 blocks bounded generally by Tenth Avenue on the west; 14th Street on the south; Sixth Avenue (from 14th to 26th streets) and Eighth Avenue (from 26th to 34th streets) on the east; and 26th Street (from Sixth to Eighth avenues) and 34th Street (from Eighth to Tenth avenues) on the north. However, the Plan does not address several manufacturing districts and those residential and commercial districts within the study area for which the existing non­ contextual zoning designations are considered appropriate. Zoning changes are recommended for slightly more than half of the total study area. The 197-a Plan states the sponsor's goals: to provide for orderly growth and change; to provide opportunities for new, economically-integrated housing; to preserve the existing low­ income housing stock; to prevent significant displacement of residents and businesses; to preserve ethnic and economic diversity; to protect residential areas from commercial intrusion; to preserve the character and visual unity of Chelsea; to preserve the traditional urban form and scale of the community; and to protect the [Chelsea] Historic District and other areas of historic character. To reach these goals, the Plan suggests a series of changes to the city's zoning map, and two possible zoning text changes. Most of the proposed zoning map changes would replace non­ contextual zoning districts with contextual zoning districts at existing and reduced levels of density. In general, the Plan would lower allowable density for the area surrounding and 2 94(X)14 NPM including the Chelsea Historic District and then step up density going eastward towards Midtown. The Plan would also replace certain commercial zoning districts with residential districts and local commercial overlays. Special zoning is proposed for the existing MI-5M and MI-6 midblock areas between Sixth and Seventh avenues from 18th to 26th streets. On vacant lots and lots occupied by parking facilities in that area, the Plan proposes to permit RI0A residential development with a mandatory 30 percent requirement for low- and moderate-income housing. THRESHOLD REVIEW AND DETERMINATION Pursuant to Section 3.010 of the 197-a rules, Department of City Planning staff conducted a threshold review of the Plan and, on June 16, 1994, informed Community Board 4 of certain deficiencies with regard to form and content, indicated additional information needed to correct the deficiencies, and provided some of that information to the Board. The Board agreed to add the requested information and did so on August 24, September 20, and October 3, 1994. On October 24, 1994, the City Planning Commission determined that the Chelsea 197-a Plan met threshold standards with the condition that the Plan's soft site, use conformance, and bulk compliance data and analyses be corrected before proceeding to environmental review. The Plan was revised and resubmitted on February 24, 1995, and environmental review commenced. 3 N NPM ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This application (N 940614 NPM) was reviewed pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and the SEQRA regulations set forth in Volume 6 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations, Section 617.00 et seq., City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Rules of Procedures of 1991 and Executive Order No. 91 of 1977. The designated CEQR number is 95DCP047M. The lead agency is the City Planning Commission. After a review of the potential environmental impact of the proposed action, a Negative Declaration was issued on August 17, 1995. It was determined that the proposed action would have no significant effect on the quality of the environment. On August 17, 1995, the Plan (N 940614 NPM) was duly referred to Community Board 4 and the Borough President for their review and comment, in accordance with Article 6 of the rules for processing Section 197 -a Plans. COMMUNITY BOARD PUBLIC HEARING As sponsor of the Plan, Community Board 4, which had previously held two public hearings prior to submitting the plan, exercised its prerogative of not holding a third public hearing, pursuant to Article 6.020 of the rules for processing Section 197-a plans. At its monthly Board meeting held on October 11, 1995, the Board adopted a resolution 4 N 94(X)14 NPM reaffirming its support of the Plan, "as a model for preserving a community and making underutilized areas within it available for providing new affordable housing, and as representing the desires of Chelsea residents. " BOROUGH PRESIDENT RECOMMENDATION The Borough President of Manhattan considered this application and, in light of the two previous public hearings held by Community Board 4, pursuant to Article 6.021 of the rules for processing Section 197-a plans, elected not conduct a further public hearing on the plan.