Chapter 4 - Special Manhattanville Mixed Use District (MMU)

The "Special Manhattanville Mixed Use District" established in this Resolution is designed to promote and protect public health, safety and general welfare. These general goals include, among others, the following specific purposes:

(a)        to encourage the development of a mixed use neighborhood that complements a revitalized community-oriented waterfront;

(b)        to support a variety of community facility, commercial and manufacturing uses;

(c)        to provide opportunities for the expansion of large academic, scientific and mixed use facilities in a manner that benefits the surrounding community;

(d)        to strengthen the retail and service character and economic vitality of the neighborhood by encouraging active ground floor uses along Broadway, West 125th Street and 12th Avenue;

(e)        to facilitate the maximum amount of design flexibility while fulfilling the goals of the mixed use district;

(f)        to improve the physical appearance of the streetscape by providing and coordinating harmonious open space, sidewalk amenities and landscaping within a consistent urban design;

(g)        to strengthen the visual corridors along West 125th Street and other east-west corridors that connect the community to the waterfront;

(h)        to expand local employment opportunities;

(i)        to recognize, preserve and promote the existing historic transportation infrastructure of the neighborhood;

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

Definitions specifically applicable to this Chapter are set forth in this Section. The definitions of other defined terms are set forth in Section 12-10 (DEFINITIONS).

Lower street wall

"Lower street wall" is that portion of the street wall of a building that extends from grade to the height set forth in Section 104-33, paragraph (a).

Mandatory widened sidewalk

A "mandatory widened sidewalk" is a paved area along the front lot line of a zoning lot at the same elevation as the adjoining sidewalk and directly accessible to the public at all times. Mandatory widened sidewalks are shown on Map 3 (Widened Sidewalk Lines) in Appendix A of this Chapter.

Mandatory widened sidewalk line

A "mandatory widened sidewalk line" is the line shown on Map 3 in Appendix A of this Chapter.

Upper street wall

"Upper street wall" is that portion of the street wall of a building that extends from the lower street wall to the maximum building height set forth for each Parcel in the Base Plane and Building Height Table in Appendix B of this Chapter, or the height of the building, whichever is less.

The regulations of this Chapter are designed to implement the Special Manhattanville Mixed Use District Plan.

The District Plan includes the following maps and illustrative diagrams in Appendix A of this Chapter:

Map 1        Special Manhattanville Mixed Use District and Subdistricts

Map 2        Subdistrict A Block Plan

Map 3        Widened Sidewalk Lines

Map 4        Street Wall Types and Locations

Map 5        Parcel Designation and Maximum Building Heights

Map 6        Ground Floor Use and Frontage

Map 7        Mandatory Open Areas

The District Plan includes the following table in Appendix B of this Chapter:

Base Plane and Building Height Table

These maps, diagrams and table are hereby incorporated and made part of this Resolution for the purpose of illustrating requirements or specifying locations where the special regulations and requirements set forth in the text of this Chapter apply.

In order to carry out the provisions of this Chapter, three subdistricts are established, as follows:

Subdistrict A — Academic Mixed Use Area

Subdistrict B — Waterfront Area

Subdistrict C — Mixed Use Development Area

The location of the subdistricts of the Special Manhattanville Mixed Use District is specified on Map 1 in Appendix A of this Chapter.

The residential use regulations of the underlying C6-1 District are modified, as follows.

In Subdistrict A, a residential use may locate in the same building, or abut a building containing a use listed in Section 104-132 (Use Groups 16, 17 and 18), only in accordance with the certification provisions of Section 104-14.

The community facility use regulations of the underlying C6-1 and M1-2 Districts are modified, as follows:

(a)        in Subdistrict A, a community facility use with sleeping accommodations, as listed in this Section, may locate in the same building, or abut a building containing a use listed in Section 104-132 (Use Groups 16, 17 and 18), only in accordance with the certification provisions of Section 104-14:

College or school student dormitories or fraternity or sorority student houses

Long-term care facilities

Monasteries, convents or novitiates

Non-profit hospital staff dwellings without restriction as to location on the same zoning lot

Non-profit or voluntary hospitals and related facilities

Philanthropic or non-profit institutions with sleeping accommodations;

(b)        in Subdistrict B, uses listed in Use Groups 3 and 4 permitted in the underlying M1-2 District, pursuant to Sections 42-10 (USES PERMITTED AS-OF-RIGHT) and 74-921 (Use Groups 3A and 4A community facilities), shall be limited to 5,000 square feet of floor area per establishment.

In Subdistricts A and C, the commercial and manufacturing use regulations of the underlying C6 Districts are modified as set forth in Section 104-132 (Use Groups 16, 17 and 18).

In Subdistrict B, the commercial use regulations of the underlying M1 District are modified as set forth in Section 104-131 (Use Group 6A).

In Subdistricts A and C, the following uses in Use Groups 16, 17 and 18 are permitted, subject to the performance standards for an M1 District set forth in Section 42-20.

Such uses may locate in the same building, or in an abutting building containing a residential use or a community facility use with sleeping accommodations listed in Section 104-12 (Community Facility Use Modifications), only in accordance with the certification provisions of Section 104-14.

From Use Group 16A:

Animal hospitals or kennels

Automobile, motorcycle, trailer or boat sales, enclosed only

Carpentry, custom woodworking or custom furniture making shops

Motorcycle or motor scooter rental establishments, enclosed only

Trade schools for adults

From Use Group 16B:

Automobile, truck, motorcycle or trailer repairs

Automobile laundries, provided that the zoning lot contains reservoir space for not less than 10 automobiles per washing lane

Automotive service stations, open or enclosed, provided that facilities for lubrication, minor repairs or washing are permitted only if located within a completely enclosed building

From Use Group 16C:

Commercial or public utility vehicle storage, open or enclosed, including accessory motor fuel pumps

Public transit yards, open or enclosed, including accessory motor fuel pumps

From Use Group 16D:

Moving or storage offices, with no limitation as to storage or floor area per establishment

Warehouses

Wholesale establishments, with no limitation on accessory storage

From Use Group 17A:

Produce or meat markets

From Use Group 17B:

Advertising displays

Apparel or other textile products, from textiles or other materials, including hat bodies or similar products

Ceramic products, including pottery, small glazed tile or similar products

Food products, except slaughtering of meat or preparation of fish for packing

Leather products, including shoes, machine belting or similar products

Luggage

Musical instruments, including pianos or organs

Optical equipment, clocks or similar precision instruments

Perfumes or perfumed soaps, compounding only

Printing or publishing, with no limitation on floor area per establishment

Scenery construction

Textiles, spinning, weaving, manufacturing, dyeing, printing, knit goods, yarn, thread or cordage

Toys

Wood products, including furniture, boxes, crates, baskets, pencils, cooperage works or similar products

From Use Group 17C:

Public transit, railroad or electric utility substations, open or enclosed, with no limitation as to size

From Use Group 18A:

Manufacturing of beverages, alcoholic or breweries

In Subdistrict A, a use listed in Section 104-132 (Use Groups 16, 17 and 18) and a residential use or a community facility use with sleeping accommodations listed in Section 104-12 (Community Facility Use Modifications) may locate in the same building, or in an abutting building, only upon certification by a licensed architect or a professional engineer to the Department of Buildings stating that the commercial or manufacturing use:

(a)        does not have a New York City or New York State environmental rating of "A," "B" or "C" under Section 24-153 of the New York City Administrative Code for any process equipment requiring a New York City Department of Environmental Protection operating certificate or New York State Department of Environmental Conservation state facility permit; and

(b)        is not required, under the City Right-to-Know Law, to file a Risk Management Plan for Extremely Hazardous Substances.

For the purposes of this Section, ground floor level shall mean the floor of a building, the level of which is located at, or within five feet of, the finished level of the adjacent sidewalk, or the adjacent mandatory widened sidewalk, as applicable. In the locations specified on Map 6 (Ground Floor Use and Frontage) in Appendix A of this Chapter, the ground floor use and frontage regulations of this Section shall apply to any development or change of use located on the ground floor level of a building or other structure, or any enlargement that increases the floor area of the ground floor level of a building by more than 25 percent.

A minimum of 75 percent of the length of a street wall on the ground floor level shall be limited to uses listed in Section 104-16 (Use Group MMU) and shall comply with the minimum depth provisions of Section 37-32 (Ground Floor Depth Requirements for Certain Uses). Such uses shall be located at the street wall. In no event shall the length of street frontage occupied solely by lobby space or entryways exceed, in total, 40 feet.

All such developments, enlargements and changes of use on the ground floor of a building or other structure (other than a change of use on the ground floor of a building located on Parcels E2 or G2, as shown on Map 5 (Parcel Designation and Maximum Building Heights) in Appendix A) shall comply with the transparency requirements of Section 104-41.