Chapter 3 - Special Ocean Parkway District (OP)

The City of New York
Eric Adams, Mayor
City Planning Commission
Daniel R. Garodnick, Chair

The "Special Ocean Parkway District" established in this Resolution is designed to promote and protect public health, safety, general welfare and amenity. These general goals include among others the following specific purposes:

(a)        to promote and strengthen the scenic landmark designation of Ocean Parkway by requiring landscaping along Ocean Parkway;

(b)        to maintain the existing scale and character of the community by limiting the bulk of permitted community facilities;

(c)        to protect the environmental quality of and improve circulation within the District by requiring enclosed parking for all uses along Ocean Parkway and by requiring off-street loading for certain community facilities throughout the District; and

(d)        to promote the most desirable use of land in this area and thus to conserve the value of land and thereby protect the City's tax revenue.

In harmony with the general purposes of the Special Ocean Parkway District and in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, certain specified regulations of the districts on which the Special Ocean Parkway District is superimposed are made inapplicable and special regulations are substituted therefor. Except as modified by the express provisions of the Special District, the regulations of the underlying districts remain in force. In flood zones, or for transit-adjacent sites, as defined in Section 66-11 (Definitions), in the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Chapter and the provisions of Article VI, Chapter 4 (Special Regulations Applying in Flood Zones), or Article VI, Chapter 6 (Special Regulations Applying Around Mass Transit Stations), the provisions of Article VI shall control.

For the purpose of applying the Inclusionary Housing Program provisions set forth in Sections 23-154 and 23-90, inclusive, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing areas within the Special Ocean Parkway District are shown on the maps in APPENDIX F of this Resolution.

The Subdistrict of the Special Ocean Parkway District is identified in Appendix A of this Chapter. In addition to the requirements of Sections 113-10 through 113-40, inclusive, the special regulations set forth in Sections 113-50 through 113-57, inclusive, shall apply to the Subdistrict.

The bulk regulations of the underlying districts shall apply, except as superseded, supplemented or modified by the provisions of this Section, inclusive.

In Residence Districts and Commercial Districts with residential equivalents, all community facility buildings, and portions of buildings containing community facility uses, shall be subject to the applicable underlying district bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 3 (Residential Bulk Regulations in Residence Districts), except as provided below:

(a)        in R2X Districts, the residential bulk regulations of an R3-1 District shall apply to community facility buildings;

(b)        in R6 or R7 Districts with a letter suffix, the applicable bulk regulations set forth in Article II, Chapter 4 (Bulk Regulations for Community Facilities in Residence Districts) shall apply;

(c)        in the Subdistrict, the bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 3 shall apply, except as set forth in Section 113-503 (Special bulk regulations); and

(d)        in R6 or R7 Districts without a letter suffix, the community facility bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 4, may be made applicable by certification of the City Planning Commission, pursuant to Section 113-41 (Certification for Community Facility Uses on Certain Corner Lots).

For all zoning lots with frontage along Ocean Parkway, there shall be a 30 foot front yard. No obstructions including porches either open or enclosed, canopies or stairs are permitted within the front yard. Any driveway within such front yard shall be perpendicular to the street line or, in the case where the street wall is not parallel with the street line, the driveway shall be perpendicular to the street wall.

Balconies pursuant to Section 23-13 may, by a depth of not more than six feet, penetrate front yards, except along Ocean Parkway.

In R8A Districts, for zoning lots fronting on Park Circle-Machate Circle, the provisions of Section 23-66 (Height and Setback Requirements for Quality Housing Buildings) shall be modified to allow for street walls within 125 feet of a wide street to rise without setback to a maximum base height of 115 feet and allow for a minimum required setback of 10 feet above such base height, provided that the maximum building height shall not exceed: 115 feet within 100 feet of Ocean Parkway or within 30 feet of an R7A District; 125 feet between 100 and 150 feet of Ocean Parkway, within 20 feet of Coney Island Avenue, or between 30 and 50 feet from an R7A District; and 140 feet on any other portion of the zoning lot. For the purposes of this paragraph, distances shall be measured perpendicular to the street line or district boundary, as applicable.

For all developments having frontage on Ocean Parkway, all required or permitted accessory off-street parking spaces shall be completely enclosed.

(a)        For any building containing a school for children below grade 7, off-street loading facilities shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of this Section. Such off-street loading facilities shall be so situated and arranged to provide head-in and head-out movement of vehicles on two separate streets, and shall have a minimum dimension of 12 feet. All such off-street loading facilities shall be screened from adjacent zoning lots by a four foot buffer of shrubbery that is at least four feet high at the time of planting.

(b)        For other schools with no children below grade 7, an off-street loading facility shall be provided with a minimum dimension of 12 by 18 feet.

Within the 30 foot front yard required along Ocean Parkway, landscaping in the form of grass, ground cover, trees or shrubs shall be provided at curb level or the natural grade level. Paving within the front yard shall be limited to the amount necessary for driveways or walkways. Fences are permitted along the front or side lot line provided that such fence is no higher than four feet above curb level.

In addition to the applicable underlying street tree planting requirements, all changes of use on zoning lots having frontage on Ocean Parkway, shall provide street trees in accordance with the provisions of Section 26-41 (Street Tree Planting).

Within the Special Ocean Parkway District, the City Planning Commission may allow, by certification, community facility developments or enlargements or changes of use containing community facility uses, to exceed the bulk regulations of Section 113-11 (Special Bulk Regulations for Community Facilities) when located on corner lots, one lot line of which is the street line of a wide street, provided that:

(a)        the community facility building will comply with the bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 4 (Bulk Regulations for Community Facilities in Residence Districts); and

(b)        the scale of the proposed community facility building is appropriate to the scale of the surrounding development.

The Commission may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards to minimize adverse effects on the character of the surrounding area.

Within the Special Ocean Parkway District, the City Planning Commission may authorize enlargements that exceed the bulk limitations of Section 113-11 (Special Bulk Regulations for Community Facilities), provided:

(a)        the existing building is a community facility building developed prior to December 19, 1996;

(b)        the existing community facility building is located partially or wholly on a corner lot, one lot line of which is the street line of a wide street;

(c)        the enlarged community facility building will comply with the bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 4 (Bulk Regulations for Community Facilities in Residence Districts); and

(d)        the scale of the proposed community facility building is appropriate to the scale of the surrounding area.

The Commission may prescribe appropriate conditions and safeguards to minimize adverse effects on the character of the surrounding area.

In order to preserve and enhance the character of the neighborhood, the Subdistrict within the Special Ocean Parkway District is established which encourages large single- or two-family detached and semi-detached residences.

Within the Subdistrict, single- and two-family detached and semi-detached residences and community facility uses are the only permitted uses. Non-conforming single- or two-family residences may be enlarged or extended pursuant to the provisions of the Subdistrict provided that a 30 foot rear yard is maintained. All other non-conforming uses shall be subject to the provisions of Article V, Chapter 2 (Non-conforming Uses).

For single- and two-family detached and semi-detached residences, and for zoning lots containing both community facility and residential uses, certain underlying district bulk regulations are set forth in Article II, Chapter 3 (Residential Bulk Regulations in Residence Districts), except as superseded by those set forth in Sections 113-51 through 113-55, inclusive. The regulations applicable to a predominantly built-up area shall not apply in the Subdistrict.

For community facility buildings, the bulk regulations of Article II, Chapter 3, are superseded by those set forth in Sections 113-51 (Maximum Permitted Floor Area Ratio), 113-542 (Minimum required front yards), 113-543 (Minimum required side yards), 113-544 (Minimum required rear yards) and 113-55 (Height and Setback Regulations). The provisions of Sections 24-01 (Applicability of this Chapter), 24-012 (Exceptions to the bulk regulations of this Chapter), paragraph (a), and 24-04 (Modification of Bulk Regulations in Certain Districts), pertaining to R4-1 Districts, shall not apply in the Subdistrict.

The regulations set forth in Section 23-22 (Maximum Number of Dwelling Units) pertaining to R4-1 Districts shall apply.

The regulations set forth in Section 23-32 (Minimum Lot Area or Lot Width for Residences) pertaining to R4-1 Districts shall apply to residential uses. The regulations set forth in Section 24-20 (APPLICABILITY OF DENSITY REGULATIONS TO ZONING LOTS CONTAINING BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITY USES), pertaining to R4 Districts, shall apply to buildings used partly for residence and partly for community facility use.

For permitted residential uses, the provisions of Section 23-44 (Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents) shall apply with the following modifications:

(a)        open accessory off-street parking spaces shall not be located within a front yard unless such spaces are located in a permitted side lot ribbon;

(b)        three-foot overhangs in a required 18-foot front yard in R4 or R5 Districts shall not be permitted; and

(c)        balconies shall not be a permitted obstruction in rear yards or rear yard equivalents.

The regulations set forth in Section 23-461 (Side yards for single- or two- family residences) pertaining to R4A Districts shall apply to detached buildings. The regulations in that Section pertaining to R4-1 Districts shall apply to semi-detached residences.

For an existing single- or two-family residence with a non-complying side yard, an enlargement involving a straight line extension of the existing building walls facing such non-complying side yard is permitted, provided that:

(a)        the portion of the building which is enlarged complies with the height and setback regulations set forth in Section 113-55;

(b)        the minimum distance between such building wall and the nearest building wall, or prolongation thereof, on an adjoining zoning lot across the common side lot line is eight feet;

(c)        the enlarged building does not contain more than two dwelling units;

(d)        there is no encroachment on the existing non-complying side yard, except as set forth in this Section; and

(e)        the enlargement does not otherwise result in the creation of a new non-compliance with the applicable bulk regulations.

One rear yard with a depth of not less than 20 feet shall be provided on any zoning lot except a corner lot. The provisions of Section 23-52 (Special Provisions for Shallow Interior Lots) shall be inapplicable. The provisions of Section 23-53 (Special Provisions for Through Lots) pertaining to R4 Districts shall apply except that the provisions in Section 23-532 (Required rear yard equivalents) shall be modified to require 40 feet instead of 60 feet in paragraph (a), or 20 feet instead of 30 feet in paragraphs (b) and (c).

The height and setback regulations of a building or other structure in the Subdistrict shall be those applicable to R4A Districts in Section 23-631 (General provisions), except that paragraph (b)(2) shall be modified as follows:

Each perimeter wall of the building or other structure may have one or more apex points directly above it on the 35 foot high plane. (See Section 23-631, Figure B).

Except as set forth in this Section, the regulations set forth in Article II, Chapter 5 (Accessory Off-street Parking and Loading Regulations), pertaining to R2X Districts, shall apply.

One accessory off-street parking space shall be provided for each dwelling unit created after August 3, 1993. This requirement may be waived for a single-family residence on an interior zoning lot that has a width of less than 25 feet along a street.

Appendix A

Special Ocean Parkway District

Zoning Resolutions Chapter 3: Special Ocean Parkway District Appendix A.0

Zoning Resolutions Chapter 3: Special Ocean Parkway District Appendix A.1

Zoning Resolutions Chapter 3: Special Ocean Parkway District Appendix A.2

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