Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

First Department Construes Open Space Requirement

By Stewart E. Sterk
February 01, 2019

In Peyton v. New York City Board of Standards and Appeals, 166 A.D.3d 120, the First Department faced a difficult question: when a zoning lot includes more than one building, can open space accessible to residents of one building, but not to residents of the other buildings, count as open space within the meaning of the New York City Zoning Resolution? In concluding that a roof garden on one of the buildings in Park West Village could not count as open space, the court's majority thwarted efforts to build a nursing home — even though the nursing home itself was not subject to open space requirements. Moreover, the court's opinion may have implications that extend past Park West Village, the site of the Peyton dispute.

New York City's zoning ordinance requires open space for all buildings on a zoning lot in a residential district. To qualify as open space, the space must be "accessible to and usable by all persons occupying a dwelling unit on the zoning lot." The definition is largely unproblematic when each zoning lot houses a single building. But suppose a large zoning lot houses several buildings. Must all of the open space be entitled to all residents of the entire zoning lot?

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

CLE Shouldn't Be the Only Mandatory Training for Attorneys Image

Each stage of an attorney's career offers opportunities for a curriculum that addresses both the individual's and the firm's need to drive success.

Discovery of Claim Construction and Infringement Analysis May be Compelled Prior to a Markman Hearing Image

A defendant in a patent infringement suit may, during discovery and prior to a <i>Markman</i> hearing, compel the plaintiff to produce claim charts, claim constructions, and element-by-element infringement analyses.