Beep OKs 4th Ave Zoning Tweak, Suggests Additions

Marty Markowitz threw his weight behind City Planning’s proposed amendment to 4th Avenue zoning—which is mainly aimed at encouraging more commercial uses in new developments—though Patch and the Eagle report that the borough president also made further recommendations for improving the thoroughfare. Markowitz doesn’t think trade schools or medical/dental labs should be allowed in the ground floors of new developments and that windowsill height should be lower to the curb than what’s currently proposed. More interesting, though, is that Markowitz wants additional stretches of 4th Avenue covered by the zoning: He says the west side of the avenue from Douglas to 6th Street and the blocks south of the expressway to 24th Street should be included, and developers should be “incentivized” to construct affordable housing. The blocks in question weren’t included in the 2003 Park Slope rezoning that’s resulted in so much residential construction on 4th Ave.
One (More) Small Step for Fourth Avenue [Patch]
Markowitz OKs 4th Ave. Special District, But With Additions [Eagle]
New Buildings on 4th Ave May be Required to Have Retail [Brownstoner]