The Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association has won a victory for its neighborhood and for all of New York City in their suit against the city over the 2005 Hudson Yards rezoning that would have increased off-street parking on the west side of Manhattan. The suit claimed that the rezoning violated agreements made in 1982 to comply with the Clean Air Act (see MTR #s 500, 554).

The recent settlement not only overturned the  rezoning, but stopped plans for a 950-space public parking garage.  The agreement sets a “hard cap” on parking at 6,100 spaces, a far cry from the nearly 20,000 possible under the challenged zoning.

A potentially powerful outcome of the settlement is the commitment by the Department of City Planning (DCP) to consider special permits for additional parking in the area only when there is a demonstrated lack of spaces.  Previously, these permits where approved without regard to current levels of parking supply.  DCP will quantify and track parking supply in the Hudson Yards area and post the information on their website.   Hopefully this prerequisite will be carried beyond the Hudson Yards and become citywide policy.

The DCP will propose a new text amendment complying with the terms of the settlement within eight months.