Proposal to Increase Zoning Application Fees for Large Projects

The City of Chicago has included a proposal in its 2014 budget to increase zoning application fees for construction projects of more than 10,000 square feet in the city. Fees would be even higher for those who opt to file paper zoning applications. Currently, the office handles applications online. But larger project developers often want an in-person meeting so they will now pay for that request.

Newer and Bigger is the Goal on Manhattan’s East Side

The New York City Department of City Planning has proposed the rezoning of 73 blocks on the East Side of Manhattan to construct newer and bigger skyscrapers. Opposition by those who live in the area to this proposal has been growing since it was announced.  The arguments against it focus on the fact that public transportation in the area cannot support more riders, the area is already overdeveloped and it could threaten historically significant structures.

Washington, D.C. Plans Potential Changes in Zoning for Parking Spaces

Six years of work went into a nearly 1,000-page document by the Office of Planning in Washington, D.C. The document is the proposed new zoning code for the city, and it includes a number of changes such as eliminating the mandatory minimum number of parking spaces developers are required to provide in new buildings. The decision would be left to the marketplace to decide and in transit corridors, mandatory minimums would be reduced by 50 percent.