What's happening
This bill requires the NYC Department of Buildings to review applications for building bulk compliance, prohibiting approval through professional certification alone.
Why it matters
Increases City Oversight. By requiring the Department of Buildings to directly review and comment on all applications regarding building bulk (the size, shape, and massing of buildings), the bill ensures that compliance with zoning bulk regulations is checked by city officials, not just private professionals. This creates a new layer of scrutiny for development projects.
Limits Self-Certification. The bill specifically prohibits developers and their hired architects or engineers from using professional certification alone to get approval for bulk compliance. This addresses concerns about potential abuse or mistakes in the self-certification process, which has sometimes led to illegal or out-of-scale buildings.
May Slow Down Approvals. Because every proposal affecting building bulk will require Department of Buildings review, the process for obtaining permits and approvals could become longer. This could have significant impacts on project timelines for developers, architects, and property owners.
Potential for Greater Transparency and Accountability. By shifting approval authority to a city agency, the bill aims to ensure that zoning laws are applied consistently and transparently, possibly reducing the risk of errors or favoritism in land use decisions. This could help maintain neighborhood character and prevent out-of-scale development.
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Who cares
New York City Department of Buildings
The bill would require the commissioner to establish a bulk review program and the department to determine whether applications comply with Article Three of the zoning resolution.
Licensed professional engineers and registered architects
They would have to submit applications solely addressing building bulk to the Department of Buildings for review and comment, without approval through professional certification.
Property owners and developers
Proposals involving the use, development or improvement of city-regulated real property would face departmental bulk review rather than approval through professional certification.
Headline styles
Review Building Size Plans
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to cities
- Referred to cities
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5282
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 8, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT to amend the New York city charter, in relation to land use review for conformity with bulk regulations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 197-e to read as follows:
§ 197-e. Land use review for conformity with bulk regulations. The commissioner of the department of buildings shall establish a program whereby professional engineers and registered architects licensed to practice engineering or architecture under section seventy-two hundred two or seventy-three hundred two of the education law shall submit applications solely respecting the building bulk of all proposals for changes, approvals, contracts, consents, permits or authorization thereof respecting the use, development or improvement of real property subject to city regulation to the department of buildings for review and comment. The department of buildings shall determine whether such applications comply with the bulk regulations found in article three of the zoning resolution.
Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, applications solely respecting bulk review shall not be approved pursuant to professional certification.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09371-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.