| Proposal:
City Council Adoption with Modifications
On June 23, 2005, the City Council approved the three ULURP applications for the West Chelsea/High Line proposal. The adopted actions include Zoning Map and Zoning Text amendments and Site Selection and Acquisition for public open space.
- Zoning Text Amendment– Creating a new Special West Chelsea District and specifying bulk and use controls unique to West Chelsea; eliminating the Special Mixed Use (MX-3) District.
View the
 Adopted Modified Zoning Text Amendment (N 050161(A) ZRM).
- Zoning Map Amendment – Rezoning portions of the West Chelsea area from M1-5 light manufacturing zoning to allow mixed commercial and residential development; eliminating the existing Special Mixed Use (MX-3) District.
View the Adopted Modified Zoning Map Change (C 050162(A) ZMM).
- Acquisition and site selection of the High Line by the city to facilitate its reuse as a public open space (C 050163 PCM).
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The City Council approval includes modifications to affordable (Inclusionary) housing, bulk and density, as follows:
Density Modifications
The modifications eliminate the Inclusionary Housing bonus in the C6-2 district, as an alternative to the transfer of floor area from the High Line Transfer Corridor, while increasing the Inclusionary Housing bonus in C6-3. In the C6-4 in the north, the base FAR was decreased from 7.5 to 6.5 FAR, and any increase in residential FAR above 9.15 would be only through the Inclusionary Housing bonus. The modifications are presented in the table below:
| |
C6-2 |
C6-3 |
C6-4 |
| |
FAR |
FAR |
FAR |
| As adopted by the City Planning Commission |
|
|
|
| Base FAR |
5 |
5 |
7.5 |
| Through High Line Transfer |
5.65 |
6.65 |
9.15 |
| Through High Line Transfer / IHB |
6 |
7.5 |
10 |
| Through IHB |
|
|
12 |
| |
|
|
|
| As modified by the City Council |
|
|
|
| Base FAR |
5 |
5 |
6.5 |
| Through High Line Transfer |
6 |
6.25 |
9.15 |
| Through High Line Transfer / IHB |
|
7.5 |
|
| Through IHB |
|
|
12 |
Affordable Housing
Section 98-26 has been revised to encourage the development of affordable housing in the Special West Chelsea District. In brief, the revisions allow the following:
- Permit City, State, and Federal programs in Inclusionary Program: Public housing subsidy programs (including 80/20) may be used for the construction or rehabilitation of inclusionary housing. This modification will result in both greater incentives for the production of affordable housing and permanent affordability for more affordable units.
- Tiering of inclusionary housing bonus to higher income levels: In exchange for providing more affordable units, housing for higher income levels (moderate- and middle-income) is allowed under the inclusionary program.
- Conversions: The Inclusionary Housing Program, and the bonus and density provisions for new construction, would now be made applicable to conversions.
- Affordable Housing Fund: After 90% of the High Line Transfer Corridor floor area is transferred to the receiving sites or is otherwise used, as an alternative to the High Line transfer, an increase in floor area would be permitted in exchange for contributions to an Affordable Housing Fund. The contribution amount per square foot would be determined by the City Planning Commission at the time that the fund is established.
Bulk Modifications
- 10th Avenue, 24th – 28th streets (C6-2 District): The maximum streetwall height was reduced from 145 to 125 feet to ensure new development relates to the scale of existing buildings along this portion of 10th Avenue.
Illustrative projected build out under proposed Special West Chelsea District controls.
Modified Inclusionary Housing Program
Inclusionary housing provisions were modified by the City Planning Commission and the City Council within the Special West Chelsea District to provide additional opportunities for the creation of housing for lower-, middle- and moderate-income households. Lots which have transferred floor area from the High Line Transfer Corridor would be permitted to further increase floor area through the provision of inclusionary housing in C6-3 and C6-4 districts. The preservation option of the inclusionary housing program was modified to encourage the use of this option, and the use of public subsidies was made available to encourage the use of the Inclusionary Program and ensure permanency. The use of 80/20 financing and changes to the Inclusionary Housing Bonus (IHB) described above would generate approximately 1,000 units of affordable housing as a consequence of the creation of the Special District.
Areas within the Special West Chelsea District where the modified Inclusionary Housing program would be available.
A portion of the increment between the base and the maximum FAR in C6-3 and C6-4 districts would be required to come from High Line Transfer Corridor development rights. The remaining portion of the increment could be achieved via the HLTC transfer or the Modified Inclusionary Housing bonus in the C6-3 district, and exclusively via the Modified Inclusionary Housing bonus in the C6-4 district.
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