Subdividing a Lot
I’m looking at purchasing a semi-detached house in a R6B zone. The building is 18′ wide on a 38.5′ wide single tax lot. Our plan is to renovate the house for our own use and we’d like to subdivide the lot and sell off the vacant lot to subsidize our renovation and purchase costs. Anyone…
I’m looking at purchasing a semi-detached house in a R6B zone. The building is 18′ wide on a 38.5′ wide single tax lot. Our plan is to renovate the house for our own use and we’d like to subdivide the lot and sell off the vacant lot to subsidize our renovation and purchase costs. Anyone have any experience subdividing a lot? I greatly appreciate any help, thanks!
A subdivision for improved property (this case) can be either very easy or very complicated so you gotta beef up your muscles. First thing you need is an accurate survey.
R6B is a pain. Compared to R6A or R7:
-Height limit is 50ft(R6A/R6QH = 70ft)
-60% max lot coverage (R6A = 65%)
-FAR = 2.0 (R6A = 3.0)
Good luck. NYC.gov has awesome graphical explanations of the zoning code. Use the google.
Thanks, yanks. I’d be happy to discuss it with you. There are a whole host of issues that come up with this sort of thing. If the stars align and there are no unusual issues, then it might be relatively straight forward.
If not, and there are issues specific to the existing building, it may require some more in depth analysis and potentially even work to the existing house. For example, do you have windows on the side of the house? This is very possible given that you’ve got a very large side yard. If those windows go away, then what happens to those spaces? What is required to keep those windows?
That’s just one example, and there are many other possibilities.
Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP
Urban Pioneering Architecture
A lawyer can do it. Call Allyn Crawford, esq. He can take care of it. (718) 273-9414. If you need an architect, look me up, but there are many qualified architects out there as well as here on the board. I have a new building going up on 13th.
One of the architects who posts often on this board, Jim Hill, was super helpful and quite knowledgeable when I was looking into doing this myself.
I don’t want to remember incorrectly what the specifics were, so I would contact him or, chances are, he’ll chime in when he sees your post.