I thought you got a lot of good work. seem desperate to me explaining a bad question. I'm thinking you don't even know how to design? are you one of those outer borough rubber stampers, like Russian or some shit (even though it say Bulgar, maybe bulgarian)....how's your English?

lol not a rubber stamper. I know the NYC zoning resolution really well, and do a lot of code review. Indeed, fhe question wasn't phrased very well by the OP, but if you read between the lines, its quite simple. Jealous you weren't able to figure it out?

you sure?

yeah, you're slavic or some retard shit like Russian, you looked between the lines when there was nothing between the lines. are you still sure?

Since it sounds like you know something I don't- why don't we just lay the carss

cards* out on the table. Tell me where I'm wrong.

you killed the fun bruh...lets confuse this one time poster I say!

to be fair. I'm an asshole.

Let me ask you: why are YOU doing your architect's work? Do you do self diagnose yourself before going to the doctor too?

So if your parcel is 50wide by 130 deep; say you have a 30' rear yard setbacks

So if your parcel is 50wide by 130 deep; say you have a 30' rear yard setbacks

scratch the above; you need to figure out how many stories you can have, regardless of use. Then you work backwards. So if you determine you can have an 10-story building, but only want commercial on the first floor, the first story will be the commercial FAR, while the other 9 will be residential-equivalent FAR. This gets a bit tricky due to height factor zoning, so a more-in-depth analysis needs to be done. You'll most likely end up with a "base-and-tower" building configureation, in which the base will have a maximum-height street before hitting the sky exposire plane, while the tower will be set back from the street wall and conform to height facot requirements.

also check out this bulletin for the 50% rule regarding multiple cellar levels...https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/bldgs_bulletins/bb_2012-008.pdf

I've never worked with him before, my contractor had him do a zoning analysis. When I received it I thought it was off that he lowered my commercial FAR from 4 to 3.45. I am not going to just say OK and let go of 1,300 square of development air rights in a prime area of williamsburg.

​Thanks Rick, I appreciate the help.

​Thanks Bulgar, I appreciate the help.

Can you send me a link to any information for contacting the AHJ officer?

"My contractor..." That is your first problem. You put the cart before the horse. Why not just work with an architect first? Shaking my head...

Robert- Rick isn't licensed and hasn't gone to architecture school. He knows nothing about the NYC zoning or code regulations, as his work experience extends to exempt buildings and light commercial facilities not requiring an architect in Oregon. So take what he says with a grain of salt. Meanwhile, I am licensed in multiple states, including NY and CA and have a firm ha dle on the zoning and code issues in NYC. Take that for what it is, but in my experience- trying to cut corners in this city is a penny wise, a dollar short. Take it from a fellow Jew: stop bein cheep.

hire a competent architect and always consult with an architect first.

I am not looking to cut corners or hang my contractors architect. I just want to double verify what my FAR is.

Until Friday morning, I was positive my commercial FAR was 4, I just want to know where or who can verify it for me. I would more than happy to pay if someone can help.

if things don't work out with your current architect, PM me and I can take a look at it for you on an hourly basis.

Sure, please email me your info and a good time to call.

[email protected]

Bulgar, did you email me or was that someone else. Please put Bulgar in the email so I know its you.

The quality housing program is the answer to the question about the FAR requriements.

omg- this is exactly what I am yalking about. You are not inlynu licensed, but trying to give a professional opinion on a complicated subject matter and specific question for a property in a city that you are entirely unfamiliar with. The page you sent is supposed to be a zoning overview. The only thing that governs is the ZONING TEXT, not some webpage that is published for general information only. Look at the Quality Housing Program if you're intereseted. Any district with a letter suffix,

residential district with a letter suffix is contextual, and therefore needs tk complg with the requirements of Quality Housing. The FAR under Quality Housing for R7A has a base FAR of 3.45

a disclaimer would be useful. might I recommend the following: Richard Balkins is not an architect; he has no education, experience, or professional credentials in architecture that would remotely qualify him to give advice or input on any question about or related to the discipline of architecture, whether said question is professional, academic, theoretical, or technical. He holds an associates degree that took him several years to acquire, lives with his parents at the age of 38, and calls himself a “building designer,” despite having never designed a building. Consider all of this before accepting anything he says as relevant, informed, or of even the slightest utility.

wow, two whole associate’s degrees! one of which took you 11 years to complete. and let’s not forget that all-important and completely unverifiable decade of self-directed study. you demonstrate with every comically long-winded and desperate post that you know absolutely nothing about architecture and have no standing to give advice to anyone that might come here.

no idea where you got the idea that I’m not licensed. I am.

for those of us who actually went to architecture school and worked in real offices, licensure is astoundingly easy to achieve.

Richard do you have a driver's license?

Balkins just accused another person of having poor reading comprehension and poor retention of facts. let’s all just bask in that delicious irony.

ah, banished from this one too. godspeed you fucking dipshit.