Limited Height Districts

A limited height district is a special district that can be superimposed onto an area that has been designated as a historic district by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Limited height districts can exist in manufacturing, commercial, and residential zones. They have been mapped onto areas in the Upper East Side, Gramercy Park, Brooklyn Heights, and Cobble Hill, in order to preserve the character of certain historical areas and structures. (nyc.gov, 2021)

The height limitations in these special districts are the same regardless of whether the preexisting zone is residential, commercial, or manufacturing. There are four different height restrictions, where a building may not exceed between 50-100 feet above the curbline. These are:

LH-1: 50 feet
LH-1A: 60 feet
LH-2: 70 feet
LH-3: 100 feet

There are currently over 34,000 buildings that have been granted landmark status in the 141 historic districts across NYC’s five boroughs. In 2016, the Landmarks Preservations Commission created an interactive map that clearly delineates each historical landmark and district. While not all historic districts are limited height districts, all limited height districts are found in historic districts.

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