Why does it matter that SoHo is zoned for manufacturing but is largely used for retail, office, and residential purposes today?

• Zoning Guidebook FAQ

The mismatch between SoHo’s zoning and current land use has many implications, chief among them being:

• It creates inconsistent outcomes in how property is used and developed,
• It can create conflict between the needs of residents and businesses, and
• It can trigger processes that take up time and financial resources.

More specifically, the mismatch can make buying, selling, renting, and owning real estate complicated and unpredictable for both residential and retail purposes. Generally, zoning is employed to create predictable and reliable outcomes where the built environment matches the zoning designation. The use of special permits, grandfathering, and other creative approaches allows non-conforming uses to be the rule rather than the exception. This complexity allows sophisticated property owners to obtain exceptions to the zoning regulation that may be too expensive for typical property owners, though the process of pursuing exceptions requires a lengthy and costly public review and approvals process.