The city of New York is still working to support property owners in their recovery from Hurricane Sandy—as well as their preparation for the next extreme weather event. The zoning code is one area in need of improvement.
"The Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery (HRO), the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of City Planning (DCP) are proposing a zoning text amendment to accelerate post-Hurricane Sandy recovery and enable flood-resilient building construction in certain waterfront neighborhoods throughout the flood zone," according to a post on the DCP website.
The proposed zoning amendment would help speed up recovery efforts as part of the "Build-It-Back" program, which have been hindered a "lengthy and burdensome" documentation process. According to the DCP website, "[t]he proposed text amendment would provide zoning relief to facilitate the elevation of existing homes and replacement of substantially damaged homes with more resilient ones by simplifying the process for documenting non-compliances, removing disincentives for property owners to make resilient investments, and establishing a new zoning envelope for narrow and shallow lots, where homes are to be reconstructed, that more accurately reflects the existing neighborhood character."
The proposed zoning changes would amend New York City Zoning Resolution, Article VI, Chapter 4 (Special Regulations Applying in Flood Hazard Areas).
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