Overview
The Department of City Planning is proposing a zoning text amendment to the parking regulations of the Special Hudson Yards District, the 42nd Street Perimeter Area of the Special Clinton District and Preservation Area P-2 of the Special Garment Center District. The area is located within Manhattan Community Districts 4 and 5 and is generally bounded by West 43rd Street on the north; Eighth Avenue to the east; West 30th Street on the south; and Eleventh Avenue on the west (see inset map).
The proposed text amendment implements a Stipulation and Order of Settlement in Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association v. Bloomberg filed on May 5, 2009 in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. The stipulation resolves litigation challenging the enactment of the off-street parking regulations under the Hudson Yards Zoning Text Amendment (N 040500(A) ZRM) in January 2005. While required for this purpose, the proposed Hudson Yards Parking Text Amendment also addresses issues that have arisen since 2005, and which would have warranted changes in Hudson Yards parking regulations, even in the absence of litigation.
In 2005, the Hudson Yards Zoning Text Amendment enacted special parking regulations in the Hudson Yards Area. The regulations were designed to help ensure that parking capacity displaced through redevelopment of the area would be replaced insofar as possible, and that parking demand generated by new development would be met.
Changes subsequent to enactment of the text amendment include a decrease in auto commuters to the area, scaled back development plans for the Javits Center and replacement of the proposed Sports and Convention Center over the Western Rail Yard with a proposed mixed-use development that includes up to 1,600 accessory off-street parking spaces. These changes will have the effect of reducing the demand for parking calculated as the basis for the 2005 text amendment. Moreover, City policy initiatives for the Manhattan central business districts have moved in the direction of seeking to reduce congestion and promote transit use.
In summary, the proposed text amendment would amend the Hudson Yards Area parking regulations as follows:
- There would no longer be required off-street parking;
- All off-street parking spaces constructed in the Hudson Yards area would be required to be located on the same zoning lots as the uses to which they are accessory;
- Public use would not be allowed for parking spaces accessory to residential uses;
- Permitted parking ratios would be reduced for new developments;
- The total amount of off-street parking in new developments would be subject to a "hard cap" of 6,084 spaces;
- A public parking "reservoir" of 821 spaces would be maintained to serve the projected future demand that would be generated by workers and residents in buildings that existed in 2005 and are expected to remain, Convention Center workers and visitors, and Midtown commuters;
- The number of public parking spaces in the reservoir, and off-street parking spaces would not exceed a total of 6,905 spaces (6,084 + 821)1
- To the extent that the reservoir remains in surplus, the sum of such surplus and the off-street spaces constructed in new buildings may not exceed 6,084;
- No additional public or accessory parking would be created by City Planning Commission authorization or special permit, except if the surplus is eliminated and the reservoir falls below the 2025 target of 821 spaces, and then only to the extent of such "reservoir deficit".
The proposed amendments, discussed in greater detail in the slide show presentation above, have a similar objective to the 2005 Special Hudson Yards District amendments in that the amendments continue to establish parking ratios to meet the demand of residents, workers and visitors in the Hudson Yards Area. However, these ratios are adjusted to address changing conditions and public policies.  View the proposed zoning text.
Project Area Survey and Development Study
In order to establish the initial Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply, Reservoir Parking Supply, and initial reservoir surplus, the Department of City Planning conducted a survey of lawful, public parking facilities in operation and a study of new buildings permitted, but not yet issued a certificate of occupancy. Following adoption of the text amendment, the Department will periodically update and post on this website the calculation of the Hudson Yards Parking Development Supply and the Reservoir Surplus to verify that the sum remains less than or equal to the Hard Cap. View the survey and study.
Public Review
As required by the settlement, DCP has updated the Hudson Yards Development Supply and Reservoir Surplus. The Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply is now 301 spaces. The Reservoir Surplus is 3,636 spaces.
On October 19, 2009, the City Planning Commission referred the Hudson Yards Parking Text Amendment to Community Boards 4 and 5 for review and comment within 60 days.
For more information on the proposal, contact the Department of City Planning at HYParking@planning.nyc.gov.
1A 306-space public parking garage located at block 1089 lots 3 and 5 was constructed after the May 2009 survey. However, since this site is subject to a 1989 special permit for a public parking garage it is counted neither as Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply nor Reservoir Parking Supply.
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