Chapter 3 - Special Limited Commercial District (LC)
GENERAL PURPOSES
The "Special Limited Commercial District" established in this Resolution is designed to promote and protect public health, safety, general welfare and amenity. These general goals include, among others, the following specific purposes:
(a) to preserve, protect, and enhance the character of Historic Districts as the location of many of the city's most valued cultural assets;
(b) to improve circulation patterns in the areas in order to avoid congestion arising from the movements of large numbers of people;
(c) to help attract a useful cluster of shops, restaurants, cultural attractions and related activities which will complement and enhance the areas as presently existing; and
(d) to promote the most desirable use of land in these areas and thus to conserve the value of land and buildings, and thereby protect the City's tax revenues.
Definitions
For purposes of this Chapter, matter in italics is defined in Section 12-10 (DEFINITIONS).
General Provisions
Special Limited Commercial Districts may only be mapped in Commercial Districts within areas, or portions of areas, designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as "Historic Districts" pursuant to Chapters 8A or 63 of the New York City Charter and Chapter 8A of the New York City Administrative Code.
In harmony with the general purpose and intent of this Resolution and the general purpose of the Special Limited Commercial District and in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, certain specified use, sign and enclosure regulations of the districts on which Special Limited Commercial Districts are superimposed are made inapplicable, and are superseded by the use, sign and enclosure regulations of the Special Limited Commercial District as set forth in this Chapter.
In addition to meeting the use, sign and enclosure regulations as set forth in this Chapter, each building shall conform to and comply with all of the applicable district regulations of this Resolution, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Chapter.
For transit-adjacent sites, as defined in Section 66-11 (Definitions), in the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Chapter and the provisions of Article VI, Chapter 6 (Special Regulations Applying Around Mass Transit Stations), the provisions of Article VI, Chapter 6 shall control.
Use Group "LC"
Use Group "LC" comprises residential uses listed in Use Groups 1 and 2, and a group of specially related uses selected from Use Groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 to provide for the special needs, comfort, convenience, enjoyment, education and recreation of the residents of the surrounding communities and of the many visitors who are attracted to its activities.
A. Amusements
Theaters, limited to a capacity of not more than 300 seats
B. Community Facilities
Ambulatory diagnostic or treatment health care facilities listed in Use Group 4
Clubs, except:
(a) clubs, the chief activity of which is a service predominantly carried on as a business;
(b) non-commercial outdoor swimming pool clubs; or
(c) any other non-commercial clubs with outdoor swimming pools located less than 500 feet from any lot line
Colleges or universities, including professional schools
College or school student dormitories or fraternity or sorority student houses
Community centers or settlement houses
Houses of worship, rectories or parish houses
Libraries, museums, or non-commercial art galleries
Long-term care facilities
Monasteries, convents, or novitiates used only for living purposes, provided that such use is to be part of a group of buildings accommodating house of worship activities, schools or other house of worship facilities that existed on December 15, 1961, or any applicable subsequent amendment thereto, and that such use is to be located on the same zoning lot with one or more buildings in such group of buildings or on a zoning lot which is contiguous thereto or directly across the street on which such buildings face
Non-commercial recreation centers
Non-profit hospital staff dwellings located on the same zoning lot as a non-profit or voluntary hospital and related facilities or on a separate zoning lot which is immediately contiguous thereto or would be contiguous but for its separation by a street or a street intersection
Non-profit or voluntary hospitals and related facilities, except animal hospitals
Philanthropic or non-profit institutions with or without sleeping accommodations, including long-term care facilities, provided that the number of persons employed in central office functions shall not exceed 50, and the amount of floor area used for central office purposes shall not exceed 25 percent of the total floor area or 25,000 square feet, whichever is greater
Proprietary hospitals and related facilities, except animal hospitals
Schools
Seminaries
Welfare centers
C. Open Uses
Public parks or playgrounds or private parks
Outdoor ice skating rinks
D. Convenience Retail or Service Establishments
Bakeries, provided that floor area used for production shall be limited to 750 square feet per establishment
Barber shops
Beauty parlors
Drug stores
Dry cleaning or clothes pressing establishments or receiving stations dealing directly with ultimate consumers, limited to 2,000 square feet of floor area per establishment, and provided that only solvents with a flash point of not less than 138.2 degrees Fahrenheit shall be used, and total aggregate dry load capacity of machines shall not exceed 60 pounds
Eating and drinking establishments, including those which provide music for which there is no cover charge and no specified showtime
Eating or drinking establishments with musical entertainment, but not dancing, with a capacity of 200 persons or less
Food stores, including supermarkets, grocery stores, meat markets, or delicatessen stores, limited to 10,000 square feet per establishment
Hardware stores
Laundry establishments, hand or automatic self-service
Package liquor stores
Post offices
Shoe or hat repair shops
Stationery stores
Tailor or dressmaking shops, custom
Variety stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
E. Offices
Offices, business, professional or governmental
F. Public Service Establishments
Court houses
Electric or gas utility substations, limited in each case to a site of not more than 10,000 square feet
G. Retail or Service Establishments
Antique stores
Art galleries, commercial
Artists' supply stores
Automobile supply stores, with no installation or repair services
Banks, including drive-in banks
Bicycle sales
*Blueprinting or photostatting establishments
Book stores
*Business schools or colleges
Candy or ice cream stores
Carpet, rug, linoleum, or other floor covering stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
*Catering establishments
Cigar or tobacco stores
Clothing or clothing accessory stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
*Clothing or costume rental establishments
Dry goods or fabrics stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
Electrolysis studios
Fishing tackle or equipment, rental or sales
Florist shops
Frozen food lockers
Furniture stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
Furrier shops, custom
Gift shops
Health and fitness establishments
Interior decorating establishments, provided that floor area used for processing, servicing, or repairs shall be limited to 750 square feet per establishment
Jewelry or art metal craft shops
Leather goods or luggage stores
Loan offices
Locksmith shops
*Medical or dental laboratories for research or testing, or the custom manufacture or artificial teeth, dentures, or plates, not involving any danger of fire or explosion nor offensive noise, vibration, smoke or other particulate matter, odorous matter, heat, humidity, glare, or other objectionable effects
Medical or orthopedic appliance stores
Meeting halls
Millinery shops
Music stores
*Musical instrument repair shops
Newsstands, open or enclosed
Optician or optometrist establishments
Paint stores
Pet shops
Photographic equipment or supply stores
Photographic studios
Picture framing shops
*Plumbing, heating, or ventilating equipment showrooms, without repair facilities
Record stores
Seed or garden supply stores
Sewing machine stores, selling household machines only
Shoe stores
Sporting or athletic stores
Stamp or coin stores
*Studios: art, music, dancing or theatrical
Telegraph offices
Television, radio, phonograph, or household appliance repair shops
Television, radio, phonograph, or household appliance stores, limited to 10,000 square feet of floor area per establishment
Toy stores
*Trade, or other schools for adults, not involving any danger of fire or explosion nor of offensive noise, vibration, smoke or particulate matter, dust, odorous matter, heat, humidity, glare, or other objectionable effects
Travel bureaus
*Typewriter or other small business machine repair shops
Typewriter stores
*Umbrella repair shops
Wallpaper stores
Watch or clock stores or repair shops
H. Transient Accommodations
Hotels, transient, where permitted pursuant to Section 32-02 (Special Provisions for Hotels)
I. Wholesale Establishments
Hair products for headwear, wholesaling including styling
Photographic developing or printing establishments, limited to 2,500 square feet of floor area per establishment
J. Accessory Uses
* In Special Limited Commercial Districts, a use marked with an asterisk (*) shall not be located on the ground floor of a building unless such use is at least 50 feet from the street wall of the building in which it is located
Signs
Non-illuminated signs with total surface area not exceeding three times the street frontage of the zoning lot (in feet), but in no event more than 150 feet for interior or through lots or 150 feet on each frontage for corner lots, are permitted. Illuminated non-flashing signs with total surface area not exceeding three times the street frontage of the zoning lot (in feet), but in no event more than 50 feet for interior or through lots or 50 feet on each frontage for corner lots, are permitted. No permitted sign shall extend above curb level at a height greater than 25 feet.
Enclosure of Uses
All permitted uses shall be subject to the enclosure provisions of Section 32-411.
For the purpose of determining the powers of the Board of Standards and Appeals in Special Limited Commercial Districts, such districts shall be considered equivalent to C1 Districts, and the powers of the Board, as set forth in Article VII, Chapter 3, shall be limited to those powers which the Board would have in C1 Districts.
For the purpose of determining the powers of the City Planning Commission in Special Limited Commercial Districts, such districts shall be considered equivalent to C1 Districts, and the powers of the Commission, as set forth in Article VII, Chapter 4, shall be limited to those powers which the Commission would have in C1 Districts.