FUTURE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICTING PLAN 43 



study of particular sections will doubtless show that some streets now unre- 

 stricted or restricted to business may with advantage be included in the 

 residence class. The owners interested will doubtless in many cases petition 

 that this be done. Similarly and even to a greater extent the area districts 

 contained in the present plan will be supplemented in order to conserve 

 existing developments and extend the safeguard of the E and D restrictions 

 to other sections. 



The method of amendment contained in the proposed districting reso- 

 lution is as follows : " Whenever the owners of 50 per cent or more of 

 the frontage in any district or part thereof shall present a petition duly 

 signed and acknowledged to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment 

 requesting an amendment, supplement, change or repeal of the regulations 

 prescribed for such district or part thereof, it shall be the duty of this 

 Board to vote upon said petition within 90 days after the filing of the 

 same by the petitioners with the Secretary of this Board. If, however, a 

 protest against such amendment, supplement or change be presented, duly 

 signed and acknowledged by the owners of 20 per cent or more of the 

 frontage proposed to be altered, or by the owners of 20 per cent of the 

 frontage immediately in the rear thereof, or by the owners of 20 per cent 

 of the frontage directly opposite the frontage proposed to be altered, such 

 amendment shall not be passed except by the unanimous vote of the Board." 



The above provisions in relation to a protest of 20 per cent, of frontage 

 affected are identical with the provisions for amendment added by the 

 recent Legislature to the districting sections of the Charter. Under this 

 method it will be possible for the owners in any block frontage between 

 two intersecting streets to petition for the kind of restriction that will best 

 conserve the type of improvement most suitable for that block. We believe 

 that this process of amending, supplementing and perfecting the general 

 plan is essential to its full success. 



Under the districting resolution submitted the enforcement of the plan 

 is vested in the superintendent of buildings in each borough, the fire com- 

 missioner and the tenement house commissioner under the rules and regula- 

 tions of the Board of Standards and Appeals. The chief control will be 

 exercised through the building permit and the certificate of occupancy issued 

 by the superintendent of buildings. The fire commissioner's jurisdiction 

 will be confined to subsequent enforcement of provisions in relation to 

 the use of buildings. The tenement house commissioner will have juris- 

 diction over the application of the provisions of the resolution to tenement 

 houses. 



The future amendment and development of the districting plan will 

 doubtless entail some added work for the Board of Estimate. It should 

 be carried on as part of the general work of comprehensive planning that 

 the Board's Committee on the City Plan has in hand. It is very important 

 for the permanent success of the districting plan that all detailed amend- 



