ReZone Syracuse FGEIS Addresses Priorities for a Growing Syracuse
Published on November 07, 2022
Mayor Walsh says Rezone Syracuse will deliver zoning and land use “for the world we live in today and tomorrow”
The Syracuse Common Council approved the final environmental review for ReZone Syracuse. The Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (FGEIS) addresses key zoning and land use priorities for a growing Syracuse, including the City’s first affordable housing requirements, new and improved citywide design standards, and a streamlined development review process. This is the first comprehensive update of Syracuse’s zoning ordinance and map in more than 55 years.
ReZone Syracuse is a multi-year effort to revise and update the City’s zoning ordinance and map. Zoning laws address allowable uses and designs of property. The ReZone Syracuse project has five goals: create a user-friendly ordinance, update zoning districts; modernize land uses, introduce uniform standards to improve the quality of development; and streamline the development review procedures.
The FGEIS was another step in the development of the new zoning ordinance and map. It was the result of a multi-year planning and public engagement process that has included nearly 150 meetings with stakeholders and community members, as well as hundreds of public comments.
“Syracuse is a growing city that is experiencing unprecedented levels of investment and development. ReZone Syracuse will provide zoning and land use requirements for the world we live in today and for the opportunities that will come tomorrow,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “I thank the Common Council for its involvement in ReZone Syracuse over the past several years and look forward to working with the Council in the next critical stage of the project.”
The City’s Planning and Zoning divisions and Law Department will now draft the final ReZone Syracuse ordinance and map for review by the City Planning Commission and Common Council which is expected in December. The review will include opportunities for public input. The state regulatory process which guides ReZone Syracuse requires that any changes to the zoning ordinance and map must be within areas considered in the FGEIS review.
Housing Affordability and Choice
The FGEIS includes recommendations to address the critical need for quality affordable housing in the City. If approved in the final ordinance, the proposal would establish the first affordable housing requirements and incentives for developers and builders. It would require larger new construction and residential redevelopment projects to provide a portion of affordable residential units based on city income criteria. It also recommends the allowance of additional housing types like attached dwelling units, or row homes, and accessory dwelling units for owner occupied properties to increase housing choice and affordability throughout the City.
Improved Design Standards
The project also introduces uniform design standards to improve the quality of development across the city. The provisions will ensure more consistent decision-making. Areas addressed include parking, landscaping and planting, signage, lighting and the compatibility of development with nearby residential areas. New building and site design standards will improve safety and aesthetics and increase the predictability of the review process.
Streamlined Development Reviews
The FGEIS allows for improvements to streamline the project development review process. It makes important procedural steps more clear and easier to understand. The steps will be more predictable and apply to multiple application types. Development proposals will have "major" and "minor" reviews based on size and significance. Historic preservation proposals will also tailor the size and scope of the review based on project size. For historic reviews, the FGEIS creates an economic hardship appeals process for alterations and demolitions and establishes an affirmative maintenance and repair requirements.
More information on ReZone Syracuse and a link to the FGEIS is available at https://www.syr.gov/Initiatives/Planning/ReZone-Syracuse