Controversial AIA Zoning Amendments Are Toast

Those zoning text amendments drafted by the American Institute of Architects that would have allowed bigger buildings and were greeted by a lot of opposition once they were widely known, have been dropped. Queens Crap posted the full text of the AIA letter to Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden yesterday. The changes were complex, but would have allowed bulkier, taller buildings in many neighborhoods. Many opponents felt it was an attempt to introduce technical, yet very important, changes without much public discussion and a number of community groups fought to get the amendments dropped.