Frequently Asked Questions

What is LUCATS?
LUCATS (Land Use and CEQR Application Tracking System) is the Department of City Planning's (DCP) interface for viewing active and completed Land Use and City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) application information.  The data in LUCATS is updated in virtually "real-time" from DCP's Land Use Management Information System (LUMIS).

What type of information does an application record contain?
An application record contains: For Land Use application records, the Milestone history for both the Land Use application and the related CEQR application (if applicable) is displayed.
For CEQR application records, the Milestone history for only the CEQR application is displayed.

How can I use LUCATS to find and view application records?
There are two Application Searches available: When more than one application record matches your search criteria, they are listed on a 'Search Results' screen in descending project number order.  Click the application number hyperlink for a particular record in the list to view details on that application.

Where can I find information regarding what needs to be entered into the data items on the Application Search screens?
On the Application Search screens when you click on a question mark Question Mark to the right of a data item, data entry requirements will be displayed (e.g., size and format).  When you click on a downward arrow to the right of a data item, a dropdown list of available choices will be displayed for selection.

Where can I find descriptions and/or definitions of the data items displayed on the screens?
When viewing Application Record screens, "tool tips" that display a brief description of the data items are available by pointing the cursor at each label.  For more detailed data definitions, click Help / Glossary.

I expected more applications to meet my search criteria.  Why were only 1,000 application records retrieved?
To prevent an unwieldy number of records from being displayed, there is a limit of 1,000 of the more current application records retrieved in a single search.  To obtain more manageable groupings of applications, refine your search criteria.

What types of geographic searches are available on the Application Search screens?
You have the option of searching for Land Use or CEQR Applications by entering any of the following types of geography:

What if I don't know the specific geography for the Land Use or CEQR Application(s) I am searching for?
Select one of the above-mentioned borough and geographic types from the 'Geography' dropdown list on the Application Search screen.  When you click the Dropdown List Arrow that appears, applicable data entry instructions will be displayed.  There is also a hyperlink displayed providing the option to access geographic information, such as community district number, by address.  When the hyperlink is clicked, the Department of City Planning's 'Address Translator' is displayed.  Follow the directions on that page, including entering a particular Address Number, Street or Place Name, and select the Borough.  When you click 'Submit Query', geographic information pertaining to the address entered will be displayed.  Note the particular geographic number you are seeking, then close the 'Address Translator' and return to the LUCATS Application Search.  Select the borough and enter the previously noted geographic number, then click 'Search' to find all matched application records.

When I perform an application search by a particular Community District (CD), why is a different CD sometimes displayed on the Search Results screen?
The Search Results screen displays only one CD per application.  If more than one CD is provided on the application form, the CD on the Search Results screen will be followed by "...".  To view all the CDs, use the Land Use ID or CEQR # hyperlink to access the relevant Application Record.

What data is displayed on the 'Land Use Application Search Results' screen for each retrieved application?
Land Use ID:  the number assigned to the Land Use application.
     Received Date:  the date the Land Use application was received.
CEQR #:  the number of the CEQR application that is related to the Land Use application, if applicable.
     Received Date:  the date the related CEQR application was received, if applicable.
Last Milestone:  a brief description of the latest significant milestone achieved for the Land Use application.
     Date of Last Milestone:  the date of the latest significant milestone achieved for the Land Use application.
Project Name:  a project name for the Land Use application.
     Location:  the location pertaining to the Land Use application.
CD:  the number of a Community District associated with the Land Use application.  "..." indicates that there are additional associated CDs.

To view an application record, click on the 'Land Use ID' link or on the related 'CEQR #' link.

What data is displayed on the 'CEQR Application Search Results' screen for each retrieved application?
CEQR #:  the number assigned to the CEQR application.
     Received Date:  the date the CEQR application was received.
Last Milestone:  a brief description of the latest significant milestone achieved for the CEQR application.
     Date of Last Milestone:  the date of the latest significant milestone achieved for the CEQR application.
Project Name:  a project name for the CEQR application.
     Location:  the location pertaining to the CEQR application.
CD:  the number of a Community District associated with the CEQR application.  "..." indicates that there are additional associated CDs.

To view an application record, click on the 'CEQR #' link.

Why isn't a recent action or determination regarding an application showing up in the Milestone screen?
There may be a lag between when an action occurs and when the information is entered into the system.  The Department of City Planning makes no guarantees that LUCATS will be uninterrupted, timely, or error-free.

What is the date used by the Department of City Planning (DCP) to determine when a Community Board, Borough Board or Borough President recommendation is received?
A recommendation from a Community Board, Borough Board or Borough President is considered "received" on the date that it is received by DCP's Calendar Office.  Therefore, if a recommendation is inadvertently addressed to any other office at the Department, it must then be forwarded to the Calendar Office, which may result in a delay.

Why can't I find some Land Use and CEQR applications when searching by project geography?
The Land Use Management Information System (LUMIS) uses DCP's Geosupport System to derive such geographical data as tax block and tax lot, census tract, city council district, etc. when a project address is entered for a Land Use or CEQR application.  Since the Geosupport System is updated approximately four times a year and may not yet contain geography for certain new addresses, some system-derived geography may not yet be available.  Also, geography searches in LUCATS are dependent on the completeness and accuracy of the data submitted and/or entered on the LUMIS database.  If the geography information entered in LUMIS was not complete and accurate, certain tax blocks, tax lots or addresses that you are seeking may not be matched.

Why can't I find certain CEQR applications when searching by a date the application was received?
When DCP is not the lead agency for a CEQR application, the date the application was received by the lead agency is not always available when the CEQR application record is created in LUMIS.

Why do only some Land Use applications have a hyperlink to a CPC Report on DCP's website?
Only CPC Reports completed since July 2003 are available through DCP's website.

Why doesn't the CPC Report for a particular application contain full background information for that project?
As shown under Related Items on the Application Data screen, there are often multiple related actions for one project.  After reviewing a project, the City Planning Commission will issue a CPC Report for each ULURP action (or item).  Rather than repeat detailed background information and summaries of the environmental and land use review processes in each report for the related items, one of the reports is often designated the "lead" report.  This report is identified in the report for each related item with wording such as "A full background discussion and description of this application appears in the report on the related application... ."  Users of LUCATS can get to this comprehensive description by clicking on the link to the appropriate related application under Related Items and subsequently viewing that action's CPC Report.

Why does a "Please Wait..." screen sometimes appear after I click the link to the City Council Resolution?
A "Please Wait..." screen indicates that the City Council Resolution is not available since the resolution has not yet been posted to the City Council Web Site.

What was the Board of Estimate (BOE)?
The Board of Estimate, or "BOE", was the governing body of the City of New York from January 1, 1898 to August 3, 1990.  In early 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the BOE unconstitutional (Board of Estimate of New York v. Morris) and therefore, in November 1989, the electorate adopted a revised City Charter which abolished the BOE and transferred most of its powers to the City Council.

Whom do I contact if I have questions about the information in LUCATS?