Unlike California's specific plans, NYC uses the Zoning Resolution's Special Purpose Districts (Articles VIII through XIV) to overlay tailored bulk, use, and design rules on neighborhoods such as Hudson Yards, Special Midtown, Theater Subdistrict, and Special Garment Center.
The NYC Zoning Resolution, adopted 1961 and amended hundreds of times, divides the city into base R, C, and M districts and overlays roughly 80 Special Purpose Districts. Articles VIII through XIV codify each district. Examples include the Special Hudson Yards District (Article IX Chapter 3) with floor-area bonuses tied to district-improvement contributions; the Special Midtown District (Article VIII Chapter 1) with theater preservation mechanics; the Special Garment Center District; the Special Coastal Risk District after Hurricane Sandy; and the Special Lower Manhattan Mixed-Use District. The Department of City Planning manages amendments via ULURP, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.
Building outside Special District rules denies a Certificate of Occupancy and exposes owners to Admin Code section 28-202.1 penalties up to $25,000 per violation. Zoning Resolution misuse can also trigger Buildings Department stop-work orders and rezoning rollbacks.
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