The provisions of this Chapter establish special regulations that guide the development of FRESH food stores to promote and protect public health, safety and general welfare. These general goals include, among others, the following purposes:

(a)        encourage a healthy lifestyle by facilitating the development of FRESH food stores that sell a healthy selection of food products;

(b)        provide greater incentives for FRESH food stores to locate in neighborhoods underserved by such establishments;

(c)        encourage FRESH food stores to locate in locations that are easily accessible to nearby residents; and

(d)        strengthen the economic base of the City, conserve the value of land and buildings, and protect the City’s tax revenues.

Upon application, the Chairperson of the City Planning Commission shall certify that a food store use is a FRESH food store, provided that:

(a)        drawings have been submitted to the Chairperson that clearly specify:

(1)        all floor area or cellar space utilized as a FRESH food store, showing in the form of an illustrative layout that such designated space is designed and arranged to meet the requirements for perishable and non-perishable food products, pursuant to Section 63-01;

(2)        all floor area that will result from any permitted increase in floor area, pursuant to Section 63-21, including the location of such floor area;

(3)        the size, format and location of the required sign, pursuant to Section 63-12, including detailed information about dimensions of the sign, lettering, color and materials; and

(4)        the location of the ground floor level street wall fronting upon a primary street frontage, pursuant to Section 63-23;

(b)        a signed lease or written commitment from the prospective operator of the FRESH food store has been provided in a form acceptable to the Chairperson for utilization of such floor area or cellar space and its operation as a FRESH food store; and

(c)        for zoning lots containing increased residential floor area generated pursuant to Section 63-21 (Special Floor Area Regulations), a legal commitment, in the form of a declaration of restrictions has been executed, in a form acceptable to the Department of City Planning, binding upon the owner and its successor and assigns, and providing for continued utilization of all floor area or cellar space as a FRESH food store, the operation of which shall commence within a reasonable period following the issuance of a temporary certificate of occupancy for the floor area or cellar space to be utilized by the FRESH food store.

Such declaration of restrictions shall provide that the legal commitment for continued occupancy of the floor area or cellar space as a FRESH food store shall not apply during any:

(1)        six (6) month period from the date such floor area or cellar space is vacated by the operator, provided that the owner timely notifies the Department of City Planning of such vacancy in accordance with the requirements of the restrictive declaration; or

(2)        event of force majeure, as determined by the Chairperson.

The filing and recordation of the declaration of restrictions in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York against all tax lots comprising the FRESH food store, and receipt of proof of recordation of such declaration in a form acceptable to the Department, shall be a precondition to certification by the Chairperson.

Certification by the Chairperson shall be a precondition to the issuance of any building permit, including any foundation or alteration permit, for any development, enlargement or change of use under this Chapter.

Changes to the store layout of a FRESH food store that has been constructed pursuant to a previous certification under this Section, where such changes result in a FRESH food store that continues to comply with the requirements of this Chapter, shall not require subsequent certification by the Chairperson under this Section. FRESH food stores certified prior to December 15, 2021, that do not comply with paragraph (c) of the definition of FRESH food store may change the floor layout provided that there is no increase in the degree of non-compliance with such requirement.

A copy of an application for certification pursuant to this Section shall be sent by the Department of City Planning to the affected Community Board, which may review such proposal and submit comments to the Chairperson. If the Community Board elects to comment on such application, it must be done within 45 days of receipt of such application. The Chairperson will not act on such application until the Community Board’s comments have been received, or the 45-day comment period has expired, whichever is earlier.

For zoning lots containing increased residential floor area generated pursuant to Section 63-21 (Special Floor Area Regulations), if a development or horizontal enlargement fails to comply with the provisions of Section 11-331 (Right to construct if foundations completed) with respect to completion of foundations within four years of the date of certification pursuant to this Section, such certification and such building permit shall lapse, and any new building permit will require a new certification pursuant to this Section.

A FRESH food store for which a certification has been issued pursuant to Section 63-30 may be changed to any use permitted by the underlying district upon certification by the Chairperson of the City Planning Commission that such change of use would not create a new non-compliance, increase the degree of non-compliance of buildings on the zoning lot, or result in fewer accessory off-street parking spaces than required by the new use pursuant to Section 63-24 (Required Accessory Off-street Parking Spaces in Certain Districts).

If a certification pursuant to this Section is granted, a notice of cancellation, in a form acceptable to the Department of City Planning, of the declaration of restrictions recorded pursuant to Section 63-30 shall be executed and recorded in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York against all tax lots comprising the former FRESH food store.

The City Planning Commission may, by authorization, permit modifications to the bulk and accessory off-street parking requirements of the applicable zoning districts when a change of use of a FRESH food store for which a certification has been issued, pursuant to Section 63-30, would create a new non-compliance, increase the degree of non-compliance of buildings on the zoning lot, or result in fewer accessory off-street parking spaces than required by the new use pursuant to Section 63-24 (Required Accessory Off-street Parking Spaces in Certain Districts), provided that such use is permitted by the underlying districts.

In order to grant such authorization, the Commission shall find that:

(a)        due to the market conditions prevalent at the time of the application, there is no reasonable possibility that the operation of a FRESH food store will bring a reasonable return;

(b)        the applicant, the operator or a prior operator of such FRESH food store has not created or contributed to such unfavorable market conditions;

(c)        the applicant, the operator or a prior operator of such FRESH food store has undertaken commercially reasonable efforts to secure a new operator, and demonstrates to the Commission that such efforts have been unsuccessful;

(d)        any proposed non-compliance or increase in the degree of non-compliance will not be incompatible with or adversely affect adjacent uses, including uses within the building; and

(e)        any reduction of required accessory off-street parking shall not create or contribute to serious traffic congestion and will not unduly inhibit surface traffic and pedestrian movement.

If such authorization is granted, a notice of cancellation, in a form acceptable to the Department of City Planning, of the declaration of restrictions recorded pursuant to Section 63-30, shall be executed and recorded in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York against all tax lots comprising the former FRESH food store.

In issuing an authorization under this Section, the Commission may impose conditions and safeguards to minimize adverse impacts on the character of the surrounding area.

No later than June 30th of the year, beginning in the second calendar year following the calendar year in which certification was made, and at three-year intervals thereafter, the Chairperson of the City Planning Commission shall be provided with an affidavit, in a form acceptable to the Department of City Planning, regarding compliance with the requirements of the declaration of restrictions and the regulations of this Chapter, as of a date of inspection which shall be no earlier than June 1st of the year in which the affidavit is filed. Such affidavit shall be provided by the owner(s) of the tax lot(s) on which the FRESH food store is located. Such affidavit shall include, without limitation:

(a)        a copy of the original FRESH food store certification letter and, if applicable, any approval letter pertaining to any other authorization or certification pursuant to this Chapter;

(b)        a statement that the floor area or cellar space that was certified to be operated as a FRESH food store continues to be operated as such in accordance with the declaration of restrictions; and

(c)        photographs documenting the condition of the FRESH food store at the time of inspection, sufficient to clearly show all floor area or cellar space operated as a FRESH food store.

Failure to comply with a condition or restriction in an authorization or certification granted pursuant to this Chapter or with approved plans related thereto, or failure to submit a required compliance report, shall constitute a violation of this Resolution and may constitute the basis for denial or revocation of a building permit or certificate of occupancy, or for a revocation of such authorization or certification, and for the implementation of all other applicable remedies.