R8 Zoning Code - New York City
What is an R8 Zoning District?
Apartment buildings in R8 districts can range from mid-rise, eight- to ten-story buildings to much taller, narrower buildings set back from the street on large zoning lots. New buildings in R8 districts may be developed under either height factor regulations or the optional Quality Housing regulations that reflect the traditional neighborhood streetscape.
Height Factor Regulations: The floor area ratio for height factor development in R8 districts ranges from 0.94 to 6.02; the open space ratio ranges from 5.9 to 11.9. A taller building may be obtained by providing more open space. For a 17-story building, 64% of the zoning lot is required to be open space (6.02 FAR and 10.7 OSR). Thus, the maximum FAR is achievable only where the zoning lot is large enough to accommodate a practical building footprint as well as the required amount of open space. The building must be set within a sky exposure plane which, in R8 districts, begins at a height of 85 feet or nine stories, whichever is less, above the front lot line and then slopes inward over the zoning lot.
Parking is required for only 40% of dwelling units since these districts are easily accessed by mass transit. It can be waived if 15 or fewer spaces are required or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.
Quality Housing Option: The optional Quality Housing regulations in R8 districts produce lower, high lot coverage buildings set at or near the street line. With floor area ratios equal to or greater than can be achieved using R8 height factor regulations, the optional Quality Housing regulations produce new buildings in keeping with many of the city's established neighborhoods.
The maximum FAR is 6.02, and the base height before setback is 60 to 80 feet with a maximum building height of 105 feet. On wide streets outside the Manhattan Core, the FAR can rise to 7.2, and the base height before setback is 60 to 85 feet with a maximum building height of 120 feet. Parking requirements are the same as for height factor buildings: 40% of the dwelling units, or waived if 15 or fewer spaces are required, or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.
Properties located in an R8 Zoning District
We have hand-picked several properties located in an R8 zoning district in one of the five boroughs of New York: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx.
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