Chapter 5 - Special Downtown Jamaica District (DJ)

The "Special Downtown Jamaica District" established in this Resolution is designed to promote and protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the Downtown Jamaica community. These general goals include, among others, the following specific purpose:

(a)        to strengthen the business core of Downtown Jamaica by improving the working and living environments;

(b)        to foster development in Downtown Jamaica and provide direction and incentives for further growth where appropriate;

(c)        to encourage the development of affordable housing;

(d)        to expand the retail, entertainment and commercial character of the area around the transit center and to enhance the area's role as a major transportation hub in the City;

(e)        to provide transitions between the downtown commercial core, the lower-scale residential communities and the transportation hub;

(f)        to improve the quality of development in Downtown Jamaica by requiring the provision of specified public amenities in appropriate locations;

(g)        to encourage the design of new buildings that are in character with the area;

(h)        to enhance the pedestrian environment by relieving sidewalk congestion and providing pedestrian amenities; and

(i)        to promote the most desirable use of land and thus conserve and enhance the value of land and buildings, and thereby protect the City's tax revenues.

In harmony with the general purposes and content of this Resolution and the general purposes of the Special Downtown Jamaica District, the regulations of this Chapter shall apply within the Special Downtown Jamaica District. The regulations of all other chapters of this Resolution are applicable except as modified, supplemented or superseded by the provisions of this Chapter. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Chapter and other regulations of this Resolution, the provisions of this Chapter shall control.

Any special permit granted by the City Planning Commission before September 10, 2007, may be started or continued, in accordance with the terms thereof, or as such terms may be subsequently modified, pursuant to the regulations in effect at the time such special permit was granted, subject to the provisions of Sections 11-42 (Lapse of Authorization or Special Permit Granted by the City Planning Commission Pursuant to the 1961 Zoning Resolution) and 11-43 (Renewal of Authorization or Special Permit).

The regulations of this Chapter implement the Special Downtown Jamaica District Plan.

The District Plan includes the following maps in the Appendix to this Chapter:

Map 1        Special Downtown Jamaica District

Map 2        Ground Floor Use and Transparency and Curb Cut Restrictions

Map 3        Street Wall Location

Map 4        Street Wall Height

Map 5        Maximum Building Height

Map 6        Sidewalk Widening

The maps are hereby incorporated and made part of this Resolution for the purpose of specifying locations where the special regulations and requirements set forth in the text of this Chapter apply.

On designated streets, as shown on Map 2 (Ground Floor Use and Transparency and Curb Cut Restrictions) in Appendix A of this Chapter, the special ground floor use, frontage and major building entrance regulations of this Section shall apply to any building or other structure fronting on such streets.

Uses within stories on the ground floor or with a floor level within five feet of the level of the adjoining sidewalk, shall be limited to community facility uses without sleeping accommodations, as listed in Section 115-15 (Modification of Use Regulations in M1-4 Districts), and uses listed in Use Groups 5, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, 8D, 9, 10, 11, 12A, 12B and 12C. A building's street frontage shall be allocated exclusively to such uses, except for Type 2 lobby space, entryways or entrances to subway stations provided in accordance with Section 37-33 (Maximum Width of Certain Uses). Such non-residential uses shall comply with the minimum depth provisions of Section 37-32 (Ground Floor Depth Requirements for Certain Uses).

For buildings developed or enlarged after September 10, 2007, where the ground floor of such development or enlarged portion of the building fronts upon such designated street, such development or enlargement shall provide a major building entrance onto such street. However, developments or enlargements on zoning lots with frontage on more than one designated street, may provide a major building entrance on only one designated street.