C1-5 Zoning is a Local Retail and Local Services Commercial Overlay Zoning District in NYC. As a commercial overlay C1-5 is mapped in residential Zoning Districts but allows for commercial use.
The C1-5 Zoning District is a sub district of C1 Commercial Overlays Zoning in NYC.
C1 Zoning Commercial Overlay Districts:
C1-5 Commercial Overlay
A Commercial Overlay is a Commercial Zoning District mapped in Residential Zoning Districts. These allow for commercial buildings to be built in residential zones. You can also build a mixed use building which is common with commercial on the ground floor and residential above.
C1-5 Zoning Regulations
The C1-5 Zoning District is primarily residential with commercial uses on the street level. The commercial uses are usually typical commercial uses for residential areas including retail, restaurants, and services for the day to day needs of a residential neighborhood. You can find C1-5 in Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Mixed Use Building
You can develop a mixed use building with commercial and residential uses. In this case you would apply the requirements of C1-5 and the residential zoning district in which it is located. Because of the low Floor Area Ratio for C1-5 it would be most likely that a new development would have residential use above the commercial floor(s) in order to maximize the development potential.
The commercial and residential FARs are not added together. The maximum FAR for the building is whatever FAR is larger. Each use cannot exceed its individual FAR, and the building cannot exceed the largest of the individual FARs.
Example: if you have a commercial overlay FAR of 1 and a Residential FAR of 3 the total building FAR is 3. The commercial floor area cannot exceed an FAR of 1.
C1-5 Zoning Specifications
C1-5 Commercial Floor Area Ratio (FAR):
Floor Area Ratio determines the floor area that can be built on the property This applies to the commercial portion of the building only.
In R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 (Except R5B)
FAR = 1 (In some instances Floor area Ratios can be increased beyond that listed)
FAR = 2
Yard Requirements for Commercial Use in C1-5
Side Yards
Side Yards are not required, but if side yards are provided they must comply with the following:
At minimum 8 feet in width or
At minimum 5 feet in width with an average width of 8 feet.
Some special circumstances will require side yards.
Rear Yard
20 Foot rear yard required
C1-5 Height And Setback in R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R5A & R5B
Initial Setback Distance
20 feet on narrow street
15 on wide street
Building Height Within Initial Setback Distance =30 feet or 2 stories whichever is less
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 1 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 1 to 1
C1-5 Alternate Height And Setback
Alternate height and setback regulations can apply if you provide open space for the entire length of the front lot line.
Depth Of Optional Front Yard
15 feet on narrow street
10 on wide street
Sky Exposure Plane Height Above Street Line = 30 feet
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
We have another post explaining the Sky Exposure Plane.
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 1.4 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 1.4 to 1
C1-5 Height And Setback in R6 or R7
Initial Setback Distance
20 feet on narrow street
15 on wide street
Building Height Within Initial Setback Distance =60 feet or 4 stories whichever is less.
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 2.7 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 5.6 to 1
C1-5 Alternate Height And Setback
Alternate height and setback regulations can apply if you provide open space for the entire length of the front lot line.
Depth Of Optional Front Yard
15 feet on narrow street
10 on wide street
Sky Exposure Plane Height Above Street Line = 60 feet
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 3.7 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 7.6 to 1
C1-5 Height And Setback in R8, R9, or R10
Initial Setback Distance
20 feet on narrow street
15 on wide street
Building Height Within Initial Setback Distance =85 feet or 6 stories whichever is less.
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 2.7 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 5.6 to 1
C1-5 Alternate Height And Setback
Alternate height and setback regulations can apply if you provide open space for the entire length of the front lot line.
Depth Of Optional Front Yard
15 feet on narrow street
10 on wide street
Sky Exposure Plane Height Above Street Line = 85 feet
Sky Exposure Plane Vertical to Horizontal
Narrow Street Sky Exposure Plane = 3.7 to 1
Wide Street Sky Exposure Plane = 7.6 to 1
NYC Zoning
As an architect I study zoning very closely. NYC Zoning is complicated and quite involved. In this article we reviewed some of the basic Zoning Codes with regards to commercial zoning district C1-5. This analysis does not assume to cover every possible issue and condition, but provide a general overview. This post does not substitute the NYC Zoning Resolution.
Thank You for reading our Blog Post on C1-5 Zoning in NYC.
I hope this was helpful. You can leave questions or comments below. If you want to discuss a specific project with an architect please feel free to contact us directly. We will be happy to help.
Contact Fontan Architecture
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
