Council approves modified waterfront regulations

alternate textRed Hook waterfront (left) and Hudson River Park waterfront

The City Council approved a far-reaching waterfront text amendment last week that included a number of changes requested by the real estate industry during the public review period.

The City Council voted on April 22 to approve the update to the regulations governing landscaping and development on the more than 500 miles of waterfront in the city’s five boroughs. The changes went into effect immediately (see waterfront presentation below).

The changes from the original proposal included not requiring all public access areas to submit to a survey to determine if it complied with lighting standards; and extra green space would not be required for upland connections — the land connecting the shoreline with a public road — on lots less than 255 feet in depth and 260 feet in width.

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Other changes included a cut in half of required public table sizes, according to the Department of City Planning Web site.

The Real Estate Board of New York in testimony at the commission in March said the lighting regulations were onerous and the upland connection requirements could restrict building size.

City Planning, as a matter of policy, considers input from interested parties in developing new regulations, a spokesperson said.