C1-7 Zoning NYC

by | Last updated Jun 23, 2020 | NYC Zoning

C1-7 Zoning is a Commercial Zoning district in NYC. It is a Local Retail and Local Service Commercial Zoning District. In C1-7 you can build a variety of commercial building uses, community facilities, and residential buildings. C1-7 zoning will have mostly residential buildings with commercial use on the lower floors. C1 Zoning has a low commercial FAR of 2 but these buildings can often have a residential development above the commercial spaces.

The C1-7 Zoning District is a sub district of C1 Zoning in NYC.

 

C1-7 Zoning Districts

C1-7 Residential Equivalent:

  • R8

 

C1-7 Zoning Regulations

The C1-7 Zoning District is primarily residential with commercial uses on the street level. The East Village and West Village of Manhattan have C1-7 Zoning. The commercial uses are usually typical commercial uses for residential areas including retail, restaurants, and services for the day to day needs of a residential neighborhood.

As an architect I study zoning very closely it is complicated and quite involved. In this article we will review some of the basic Zoning Codes with regards to commercial zoning district C1-7. This analysis does not assume to cover every possible issue, but provide a general overview of the zoning codes.

 

C1-7 Residential Equivalent

Most Commercial Zoning districts have a Residential Equivalent. This equivalent is the Residential Zoning you would comply with when developing a residential building. The residential equivalent for C1-7 is R8 Zoning.

 

Mixed Use Building

You can develop a mixed use building with commercial and residential zoning. In this case you would apply the requirements of C1-7 and R8 in designing a mixed use building. Because of the low Floor Area Ratio for C1-7 it would be most likely that a new development would have residential use above the commercial floor(s) in order to maximize the development potential.

 

C1-7 Zoning Specifications

C1-7 Commercial Floor Area Ratio (FAR):

Floor Area Ratio determines the floor area that can be built on the property.

FAR =  2

The FAR is for Commercial Floor Area. Residential use usually differs from Commercial.

C1-7 Community Facility Floor area Ratio

FAR =  6.5

Sometimes the FAR is higher for community facilities as it is in this case.

Yard Requirements for Commercial Use in C1-7

Side Yards

Side Yards are not required, but if side yards are provided they must comply with the following:

At minimum 8 feet in width or

At minimum 5 feet in width with an average width of 8 feet.

Some special circumstances will require side yards.

Rear Yard

20 Foot rear yard required

C1-7 Height And Setback

Initial Setback Distance

20 feet on narrow street

15 on wide street

Building Height Within Initial Setback Distance = 85 feet or 6 stories whichever is less

Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal

Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 2.7 to 1

Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 5.6 to 1

C1-7 Alternate Height And Setback

Alternate height and setback regulations can apply if you provide open space for the entire length of the front lot line.

Depth Of Optional Front Yard

15 feet on narrow street

10 on wide street

Sky Exposure Plane Height Above Street Line = 85 feet

Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal

Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 3.7 to 1

Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 7.6 to 1

 

Sliver Law

You should always make sure to check if your property is subject to sliver law restrictions.

 

NYC Zoning

As an architect I study zoning very closely. NYC Zoning is complicated and quite involved. In this article we reviewed some of the basic Zoning Codes with regards to commercial zoning district C1-7. This analysis does not assume to cover every possible issue and condition, but provide a general overview. This post does not substitute the NYC Zoning Resolution.

 


Thank You for reading our Blog Post on C1-7 Zoning in NYC.

I hope this was helpful. You can leave questions or comments below. If you want to discuss a specific project you can contact us directly.

 

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Jorge Fontan

Jorge Fontan

This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.