SoHo And NoHo Unite To Save Nabes From Possible Rezoning

SOHO — A coalition of neighborhood groups united in hopes of saving SoHo and NoHo from a possible rezoning they fear might allow real estate interests and developers to "hijack" the area.

The Save SoHo-NoHo Coalition announced its formation on Monday, which includes the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, the Broadway Residents Coalition, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Lower Manhattan Loft Tenants, the NoHo Neighborhood Association and the SoHo Alliance.

"I think what we're focused on is making sure that the developers and big institutions don't hijack this process to reshape the neighborhoods in ways that serve them but don't serve longterm residents or average New Yorkers," said Andrew Berman, head of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, a group not included in the city's original stakeholder advisory group.

"We do not want to see any increase in the allowable development density," he said. "We do not want [NoHo] taken over by NYU."

The city has scheduled meetings through May 2, with a final meeting on June 6 with its recommendations regarding the future of SoHo and NoHo.

The Department of City Planning, Borough President Gale Brewer, and Councilmember Margaret Chin are leading the planning process for a potential rezoning — though the city has not detailed its exact plans during the input process besides saying that the neighborhoods zoning needs to be fixed for the future.

Early last month, the first meeting regarding the possible rezoning initiative was flooded with people — over 250, according to the city. The room was overcrowded and city unprepared for residents curious what the city's plans were for the neighborhood during the chaotic meeting. Brewer, Chin, and City Planning later apologized and reiterated the purpose of the meetings is to hear from the community about what "challenges" exist before any proposals are written.

“Together with Borough President Brewer and Council Member Chin, we are engaged in a public planning process with the community to assess the unique challenges of SoHo and NoHo," a City Planning spokesperson said. "With a stakeholder group that represents residents, artists, businesses, and preservationists, we launched a series of public workshops in January to make sure that these neighborhoods remain a dynamic place for people to work, create, shop and live.”

On Monday, Save SoHo-NoHo Coalition was formed, in part, as a response to the formation of the Fix SoHo NoHo Coalition, a group of real estate companies that are pushing for zoning changes.

The new neighborhood group coalition aims to preserve much of the same zoning in the neighborhood — particularly rights for artists living and working in loft units as well as maintaining existing retail space regulations.

Artists in the neighborhoods raised concerns at the city's second planning meeting last week, fearful a rezoning process could push out longtime artists who live in their residences, Curbed reported. Industrial lofts were legalized as residential use for artists using their homes as studio spaces in the 1970s. Curbed reported that DCP's breakdown of jobs in the neighborhood overlooked artists — further solidifying concerns the city could leave out neighborhood artists from the discussion.

The new coalition is also focusing on the ongoing concern of oversized retail stores that exist through loopholes.

The group's platform, according to its press release, advocates for:

• Preserving existing rights and protections for residents, especially those protected through the Joint Living-Work Quarters for Artists
• Maintaining the allowable density of developments (specifically the floor area ratio)
• Upholding the existing limits on retail spaces
• Keep public review for developments or uses not currently permitted
• Limit types of university uses to those allowable under existing zoning
• Keep the creative character of the neighborhoods

"We honor the artistic genius of SoHo and support the creative community that has been at the core of our unique downtown neighborhoods since their inception," Pete Davies, of the Broadway Residents Coalition, said in a statement. "Our ongoing focus is addressing quality of life issues and preserving the historic fabric of the local built environment. BRC supports a reasonable and responsible balance that serves to minimize conflicts of uses in both SoHo and NoHo, thereby fostering a more livable & workable mixed-use community."

As Sean Sweeney of the SoHo Alliance put it, "Why mess around with something that works?"

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he said. "It'll just open up a Pandora's box and a can of worms of unintended consequences," he said.