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What is NYC ZR § 62-511?

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This section outlines the requirements for establishing visual corridors through zoning lots adjacent to waterfront areas. It specifies methodologies for prolonging street lines and maintaining designated visual corridors while considering existing obstructions and conditions. Applies to property owners of waterfront zoning lots.

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§ 62-511 Location of visual corridors

ZR § 62-511

Visual corridors shall be provided through the zoning lot using the following methodology:

(a)the street lines of a street shown on the City Map which extend seaward of the first upland street bounding a waterfront block and terminate at a waterfront block shall be prolonged as a visual corridor through all intervening zoning lots to the water if the prolonged street would intersect the shoreline at an angle of 45 degrees or more and there are no existing obstructions blocking 50 percent or more of the width of the visual corridor that would result;

(b)a visual corridor designated in a Waterfront Access Plan that traverses the zoning lot shall be maintained through the zoning lot in accordance with the provisions of such plan; and

(c)the street lines of a street shown on the City Map which terminate at the first upland street bounding a waterfront block, and which street would, if prolonged, traverse the zoning lot and intersect the shoreline at an angle of 45 degrees or more without traversing an intervening zoning lot, shall be prolonged as a visual corridor if there are no existing obstructions blocking 50 percent or more of the width of the visual corridor that would result.Such visual corridor pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section shall not be required if any of the following conditions exist within 400 feet, as measured along the street line of the first upland street bounding the waterfront block, and its elimination does not result in a condition whereby visual corridors through the zoning lot or to either side of the zoning lot are more than 600 feet apart:

(1)there is an existing mapped street extending to the water that intersects the shoreline at an angle of 45 degrees or more;

(2)there is a required visual corridor pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section;

(3)there is an existing designated visual corridor either previously recorded by another property owner or mandated in a Waterfront Access Plan; or

(4)the property owner is currently designating another visual corridor through the zoning lot pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section which is equal to or greater in width than the visual corridor that would be eliminated.

For the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (c) of this Section, the angle of intersection of a street with the shoreline shall be determined from the intersection of the centerline of the street, or its prolongation, with the shoreline. The line connecting the two points of intersection of the street lines, or their prolongation, with the shoreline shall be deemed to be the shoreline (see illustration of Visual Corridor).

No existing street, or its prolongation, shall be considered currently blocked due to the presence of elevated roadways, elevated railways, or pedestrian or vehicular bridges existing on October 25, 1993.

In the event the methodology of this Section results in a condition whereby visual corridors through the zoning lot or to either side of the zoning lot are more than 600 feet apart, as measured along the street line of the first upland street bounding the waterfront block, additional visual corridors shall be provided at locations that would maintain a maximum spacing of 600 feet without traversing an intervening zoning lot. Such spacing may be increased only where an intervening zoning lot or an existing building or other structure on the zoning lot prevents compliance and only to the minimum dimension necessary to clear the intervening zoning lot or existing building or other structure. However, no visual corridor shall be required where such increased spacing would place it within 200 feet of another visual corridor. In order to determine the location of the nearest visual corridors, the methodology of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section shall be applied to the adjoining portions of the block frontage to either side of the zoning lot.

VISUAL CORRIDOR LOCATIONS(62-511.1)

VISUAL CORRIDOR (ANGLE OF SHORELINE INTERSECTION)(62-511.2)

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