124-51 Use and Location of Parking Facilities

The provisions of this Section shall apply to all off-street parking spaces within the Special Willets Point District.

Floor space used for parking shall be exempt from the definition of floor area.

Parking facilities with over 225 parking spaces shall provide adequate reservoir space at the vehicular entrances to accommodate either 10 automobiles or five percent of the total parking spaces provided in such facility, whichever amount is greater, but in no event shall such reservoir space be required for more than 50 automobiles.

(a)        All off-street parking spaces shall be located within facilities that, except for entrances and exits, are located:

(1)        entirely below the level of any street or publicly accessible open space upon which such facility, or portion thereof, fronts;

(2)        in a cellar no more than four feet above grade within Area B, as shown on Map 1 in the Appendix to this Chapter, provided that the street wall is set back at least four feet from the street line except for projections permitted pursuant to Section 124-22, paragraph (a)(3), and planted areas are provided pursuant to Section 124-22, paragraph (a)(5), and further provided that 50 percent of such street wall with adjacent parking spaces consists of opaque materials;

(3)        at every level above-grade, wrapped by floor area provided in accordance with paragraph (a) of Section 37-35 (Parking Wrap and Screening Requirements); or

(4)        above-grade and adjacent to a street wall or public access area, and screened in accordance with the provisions set forth in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of Section 37-35. A parking structure so screened shall be permitted only in the following locations:

(i)        except within blocks that bound the intersection of 126th Street and Northern Boulevard or 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, a parking facility may be located adjacent to a street wall facing 126th Street above a height of 35 feet and limited to a height of 85 feet. At least 30 feet of floor area containing permitted uses shall separate such parking spaces from any other adjacent street;

(ii)        a parking facility may be located adjacent to a street wall limited to a height of 85 feet on a block that bounds the intersection of 126th Street and Northern Boulevard, provided that such street wall is on Northern Boulevard and is more than 100 feet from 126th Street. At least 30 feet of floor area containing permitted uses shall separate such parking spaces from adjacent residential, connector or primary retail streets;

(iii)        a parking facility not on a block that bounds the intersection of 126th Street and Northern Boulevard may be located adjacent to a street wall limited to a height of 40 feet facing Northern Boulevard, provided that such street wall with adjacent parking spaces is on Northern Boulevard and is more than 100 feet from 126th Street. At least 30 feet of floor area containing permitted uses shall separate such parking spaces from any other adjacent street;

(iv)        a parking facility may be located adjacent to a street wall on a block that bounds the intersection of 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, provided that such street wall with adjacent parking spaces is more than 100 feet from 126th Street, Roosevelt Avenue and at least 30 feet from any connector street;

(v)        a parking facility may be located adjacent to a street wall limited to a height of 40 feet facing the eastern boundary of the Special Willets Point District, within 200 feet of such eastern boundary, so that such parking facility is not visible from a connector street. At least 30 feet of permitted floor area containing uses shall separate such parking spaces from adjacent residential and connector streets; and

(vi)        a parking facility may be located adjacent to a street wall where such street wall is on a service street, provided that at least 30 feet of floor area containing permitted uses shall separate such parking spaces from adjacent residential, connector, retail or primary retail streets.

(b)        All parking facilities with parking spaces adjacent to an exterior building wall that is not a street wall shall provide screening in accordance with the provisions set forth in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of Section 37-35.

(c)        All parking facilities shall not be open to the sky, and all parking facilities shall have a roof that meets the design requirements of Section 124-34.

(d)        All accessory off-street parking spaces may be made available for public use. However, any such space shall be made available to the occupant of a residence to which it is accessory within 30 days after written request therefore is made to the landlord. Furthermore, if accessory and public parking spaces are provided on the same block, all such spaces shall be located within the same parking facility.

(e)        All accessory off-street parking spaces may be provided within parking facilities in buildings other than the same building as the uses to which they are accessory, provided that:

(1)        the off-street parking space within such facility is counted only once in meeting the parking requirements for a specific building; and

(2)        such parking facilities are located within the Special Willets Point District; or

(3)        such parking facilities are located within distances specified by Sections 36-421 (Maximum distance from zoning lot) and 36-43 (Off-site Spaces for Commercial or Community Facility Uses), as applicable.