UPDATE: The Governor has eliminated this tax increase! Thanks to everyone who made their voices heard.

We’re keeping an especially close eye on the State Budget and spending this year, given the state of the economy and the urgent need to invest in New York’s infrastructure and projects. We were therefore dismayed to hear about a proposed change to the Budget’s definition of a “Capital Improvement.” (See p. 129 of this PDF document.) The Governor is seeking to end the tax exemption on labor for renovations, restorations and rehabilitations of existing buildings.

Governor Paterson is aware of and acting on the urgent need to stimulate job creation and bolster New York’s infrastructure during this economic downturn; it seems counterproductive to limit the definition of the term “capital improvement” to projects that constitute “new construction or a new addition to or total reconstructions of existing construction.” This change will place a much larger burden on much-needed projects, having the likely effect of reducing their numbers and scope. In turn, there will be fewer jobs and fewer dollars being spent on upgrading and maintaining our built environment.

In addition, the greenest projects are renovations of existing buildings. Construction of new sustainably designed buildings is a good step towards a greener New York; but the majority of our carbon emissions come from existing buildings, which we should hasten to make as energy-efficient as possible. Architects are engaged in this mission all over the State, and the sales tax exemption aids considerably in making many such renovations and building improvements possible.

If you feel strongly about this issue, as we do, please contact the Governor. There are various options on this page. For sample text, email Laura Manville and check the News page for the AIA’s letter.

Finally, a place to park

At yesterday’s City Planning hearing, the Commission approved the Bicycle Storage Zoning on which AIA NY submitted testimony recently. We were pleased to see that several modifications we suggested are included in the final text, including allowing reductions or waivers for affordable and elderly housing developments. This will help keep costs down and reduce the incidence of unused bicycle parking in these important housing types.

Thanks to the Department for engaging our profession in the public review process and for taking our suggestions seriously. The text is better off for it!

The Department of City Planning seeks to improve conditions at the water’s edge.

DCP

The Department of City Planning recently proposed changes to the zoning resolution that would affect the Public Access Area design regulations at the city’s waterfront areas. The AIA NY Chapter is extremely interested in the development of a better-designed, more accessible waterfront for all New Yorkers, and was excited to see the efforts of the Department towards this goal.

After a well-attended event at the Center for Architecture, the AIA NY partnered with the American Planning Association NY Metro Chapter and the American Society of Landscape Architects to compile a joint position statement on behalf of New York City’s design professionals. Lauding the spirit of the proposal, we asked the Department to take another look at three issues that should be addressed more fully before the zoning changes are approved:

Climate Change, Sustainability, and the Water’s Edge
As the Mayor’s February 17, 2009 report stated, climate change is a fact, not a theory. Rising sea levels, increased storm surges and changes in coastal ecologies will become apparent. We are concerned that the text amendments do not currently respond to these factors.

Inter-Agency Coordination at the Waterfront
As design professionals, we - and our clients - are often in the position of negotiating conflicting regulations. We strongly recommend that effective coordination occur between the relevant City, State and Federal agencies that are interconnected with this proposal. It is an excellent time to plan more comprehensively for an interagency waterfront strategy.

Design Standards
Some of the design standards seem overly costly for developments. We have specific concerns about the shaded seating, the impact of seating requirements when extrapolated to larger sites, the unrealistic restrictions on heights of fencing and gates to private property, security concerns with regard to expanded hours of operation, and the continued requirement for overly-specific building articulation.

We testified at this morning’s public hearing and heard similar feedback from the MWA and REBNY. The complete statement with details will be on the Chapter News site imminently.

Where will this cyclist park his bike when he arrives at his destination?

Today, AIA New York is testifying before the City Planning Commission in support of a proposed zoning amendment that will require secure, indoor bicycle parking in all new residential and commercial buildings. The number of spaces required will be calculated based on a building’s floor area, just as car parking currently is. The proposed regulations are particularly specific about the physical configurations that will allow building users to maneuver and store their bicycles conveniently and safely. This will go a long way towards making bicycling a natural, safe mode of transportation for more New Yorkers, whether for commuting or leisure trips.

Chapter committees have proposed some suggestions for the text, including adding this requirement to new manufacturing uses and substantial commercial renovations; allowing more design flexibility for the placement of storage rooms in commercial buildings; using a graduated scale to calculate the bicycle parking requirements for very large commercial developments; and including waivers for residences for the elderly or special needs housing. For the zoning enthusiasts, our detailed testimony will soon be available on the Chapter News website for downloading soon.

As part of our Fit City partnership with the Department of Health, the Center for Architecture hosted a charrette today on the City’s Active Design Guidelines. These guidelines, in the process of being written, will set design standards to encourage active living in residential and commercial buildings, as well as discuss successful streetscapes for promoting physical activity. The writing of these guidelines is one of the most exciting outgrowths of our Fit City initiative.

The charrette proceedings took place in Tafel Hall throughout the day.

A “charrette” is a term used by design professionals to describe a collaborative workshop with stakeholders to find solutions to design problems. This charrette took advantage of the Center’s active base of design professionals to bring a new perspective to the Guidelines drafting process. The AIA NY Chapter was pleased to be able to contribute to this City initiative, and look forward to the launching of the Active Design Guidelines later in the spring!

Charrette participants pin up the results of their work for discussion with the full group.