Proposed Council Bill to Increase Penalties for Sidewalk Parking in Manufacturing Districts

New penalties will range from $500 to $1,000. On February 2, 2023, Council Member Alexa Avilés introduced bill number 0900-2023 in the NYC Council. The bill proposes to increase penalties for illegal sidewalk parking by covered businesses in certain manufacturing (M1) zoning districts and arranged for bollards to be installed within selected areas of these zoning districts.


Council Passes Bill for More Data on Families With Children in Shelters

On February 2, 2023, the New York City Council approved Local Law 26, which would more closely monitor the status of the City’s most vulnerable families—those who live in shelters. The new law was originally introduced in 2022 by Council Member Kevin C. Riley as Introduction 421. Local Law 26 now requires the NYC Department of Homeless Services to report more regularly on the status of families with children living in shelters.


Landmarks Calendars Former Segregated School Building in Chelsea

On February 14, 2023, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar the former Colored School No. 4 as an individual landmark. The former school, located at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan, is the only surviving school building that exclusively served African American students in Manhattan in the second half of the 19th century. The building serves as a significant reminder of racially segregated education in New York City, and the accomplishments of notable <Read More>


Mayor Announces New Landmarks Preservation and Public Design Commission Appointments

On February 22, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointments of three new commissioners to the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the selection of the Mayor’s representative for the Public Design Commission. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the largest municipal preservation agency in the United States, responsible for the designation and protection of landmarks and historic districts in the city. The Public Design Commission has the jurisdiction over landscape architecture, art and permanent structures on City-owned <Read More>