Mixed Use Zoning


Link to article I snagged this picture from.

Imagine instead of eating a Pizza (my favorite food), you were to separate the ingredients and eat them one at a time - first the bread, then the cheese, the sauce and finally the toppings. It wouldn't be the same right? It would be boring to eat and take a lot more time to do. That's what happens in the Suburbs - residential all in one spot, shopping in another, restaurants somewhere else, work off over the horizon...but nothing co-located. A city is supposed to be the opposite - encouraging the mixing of uses to bring all these ingredients together and combining them in different ways to create unique flavors and textures.

Why do I bring this up now?

Because it seems that there is a sect on the local community board that is arguing against the siting of greenmarkets on "residential" streets because that is not its "intended purpose". This seems to be a strange offshoot of the historical preservationist movement, which I have mostly a high regard for in their efforts to protect unique older buildings from destruction. Perhaps Eli Zabar or other commercial interests that would prefer not to have the competition are behind this? I don't know, but this is a strange issue for them to take on - preventing the siting of a greenmarket? I hope they back off, since they are probably going to lose this one.

Councilmember Lappin's office has been wonderful in helping organize around this issue. We plan to be at the board meeting in force tomorrow night and next week for the full board meeting. We already have many, many enthusiastic signatures to a last minute petition to show the community's resolve on this issue.

lOVE THE ELI ZABAR'S AD FROM GOOGLE ON THE BLOG....