The Department of City Planning has proposed
zoning amendments that would affect 57 blocks
in East Harlem. It is the first comprehensive
revision of East Harlem zoning since the last
major revision of the Zoning Resolution in 1961.
The area to be rezoned is generally between East
99th and East 122nd streets, east of Lexington
Avenue in Manhattan’s Community District
11. Most of the area is now zoned R7-2, a moderate-density
residential district, and is characterized by
six- to eight-story residential buildings along
the avenues and four- to six-story rowhouses on
the midblocks.
The Department’s proposed zoning strategy
balances growth and preservation in East Harlem.
By amending the zoning map, the proposal would:
- Foster
new opportunities for residential development.
East Harlem is a growing community with needs
for new housing. To help satisfy that need,
larger buildings would be permitted at appropriate
locations.
- Ensure
that future development is consistent with neighborhood
character. Current zoning encourages
tall towers set back from the street, a building
form inconsistent with the prevailing character
of East Harlem. Schools, health care establishments,
and other community facilities can also be considerably
larger than residential buildings. The contextual
zoning districts proposed would produce
new buildings more in keeping with the character
of East Harlem.
- Preserve
the scale of midblocks. Residential midblocks
in East Harlem are typified by rowhouses with
consistent heights and street walls that line
up along the sidewalks. To preserve these midblocks,
the proposal calls for contextual zoning districts
that would decrease the maximum permitted size
of buildings.
- Encourage
ground floor retail and service uses.
New small businesses and stores are opening
throughout East Harlem to support a growing
community. The proposal would extend or modify
commercial zoning to provide new locations and
greater flexibility for ground floor retail
uses.
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