Government briefs: Rules proposed for pedestrian plazas, NYC crane regulations get updated … and more

From the April issue: A massive eight-story office building envisioned as a new tech hub in Williamsburg’s industrial sector is facing its first zoning-approval hurdle. The local community board last month rejected a request to change zoning laws so that the 480,000-square-foot tower at 25 Kent Avenue can be built, DNAinfo reported. It was the first step in the city’s zoning-approval process, which is expected to finish in the spring. Community members expressed concerns that the zoning change would encourage more skyline-altering plans. [more]