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opportunities for different types of stores to come onto Montague Street,%u201d said Scioli, who favors a new zoning modification.%u201cIt gets very bad,%u201d agreed Boro Hioto owner Allan Kaufer. \restaurants don%u2019t package theirsaid, %u201c The normal weeding out of products has solved problems. You can%u2019t legislate good taste, what a good business should be. Natural economic laws will do it.%u201dSilver, however, believes in some type'of regulation. %u201c We needMontague Tries LegislationM O N T A G U E T O D A Y : R esta u ra nt cano pies sym b o lize m e rc h a n ts %u2019 concern o ve r lack of diversity on M o ntague S tre e t. (M ich ae l Cuicco Photo)BY GARY FREDERICKMontague Street is a 20th century commercial thoroughfare enclosed by the 19th century charm of brownstone Brooklyn Heights. Preserving that charm along the street itself is a problem for local merchants and so the Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA) has submitted to the City Planning Commission a zoning modification to accomplish that goal.The modification would divide Montague Street into three categories of stores: Service consumable establishments, retail service establishments, and package retail establishments. Each group would be allowed a certain percentage of each block %u201con a lineal frontage basis.%u201d This means, for example, that package retail establishments could occupy a maximum of 25 percent of the total frontage on any block.Retail service includes banks, laundries, opticians, barber and beauty shops, repair shops, and travel bureaus. \ables means restaurants, cigar and tobacco stores, candy and ice cream stores, and newsstands. Package retail includes bakeries, clothing, hardware, antiques, records and liquor stores.The proposal is on the agenda at the BHA%u2019s November 1 open meeting, 8:30 p.m. at St. Ann%u2019s Parish, 157 Montague Street.George Silver, president of the BHA, said the modification is necessary to preserve the diversity of the street. %u201c It%u2019s a limit so one type of use doesn%u2019t overtake another one*,%u201d he said. He cited the 25 restaurants along the four-block long street as an example of limited diversity.A study of 1,000 Brooklyn Heights residents conducted by Congressman Fred Richmond%u2019s staff in February, echos Silver%u2019s concerns. It showed that 55 percent of the people would like to see the street become more diversified, and 94 percent feel the street needs improvement with particular regard to cleanliness.Restaurants are very much on the mind of many merchants, who feel the high number of restaurants contributes heavily to the mounting garbage problem.John Scioli, owner of Community Book Store, thinks there are too many restaurants. %u201cThey hampergarbage correctly.%u201d He said keeping the street attractive by merchants and shoppers is the number one problem.But Kaufer does not favor the proposal. %u201c There%u2019s pretty good diversification now,%u201d he said, even though he is angry about a soon-to-be-opened Citibank branch across from his store. %u201c Why should they be opening on this retail block?%u201d Kaufer said. %u201c They should be a block down nearer Court Street.%u201dGallery owner Don Pandiner thinks the present zoning law is adequate. He owns Summa Gallery at 152 Montague Street andregulation mostly because we don%u2019t know how to regualte ourselves,%u201d he said. %u201c People don%u2019t like laws because they are restrictive. Just because they are restrictive, though, doesn%u2019t mean they%u2019re bad.%u201dMontague Street is presently zoned in accordance to three separate ordinances, which allow for residential and commercial use of the street. Because Brooklyn Heights is also a historic district, the street is subject to the city%u2019s Landmark Preservation Commission, which must issue a certificate of appropriateness for alterations to building exteriors.The issue ultimately will reach the City Planning Commission which has jurisdiction over modifications to the zoning law. The law in turn is administered by the Department of Buildings. As of now, the Brooklyn Planning Commission is studying the proposal, and conducting a survey to update its information about the street.Is a zoning modification the answer to the street%u2019s diversity problem?Val Gunnings was co-owner of Crocus, a children%u2019s clothing and toy store which closed recently after nine years at 145 Montague Street. %u201c I don%u2019t know how you can control the market mechanism,%u201d she said. %u201c I believe in a freemarket mechanism and that%u2019s one of the problems with controls.%u201dShe and Ginnie Hoyt closed the store because they felt the need for different jobs. Gunnings, who nowworks at Doubleday Publishers, said she is sorry there is no more children%u2019s clothing stores on the street. %u201c Some of the other merchants have tried selling some things we sold,%u201d she said, but added they cannot sell all the items handled by her store.Some feel the increase in restaurants, and particularly fast-food establishments, have contributed to spiralling rent costs. Said Jim Masters, vice-president of the BHA, %u201c Fast food places can afford to pay high rents, and so the others go up.%u201d He said the zoning modification would create a shift away form the %u201c lunchtime eatery,%u201d which caters to the Court Street crowd, and toward restaurants which service the neighborhood.But Pandiner thinks the shift is happening without the zoning modification. %u201c Burger King served its purpose,%u201d he said, %u201c but other large chains have been dissuaded from coming in. There%u2019s no more market for it.%u201dHowever, the restaurants must also cater to the Court Street clientele, he said. %u201cThere are not many businesses that can survive by appealing to one type of client.%u201d Pandiner said. %u201c Montague Street is the commercial street of Brooklyn Heights and Court Street.%u201dHe added that the street could not possibly supply all the services people want. %u201cThe more services you offer,%u201d he said, \services people realize they need.%u201dPandiner is happy with the way Montague Street is evolving and said, \Montague Street today than 15 years ago. Today, people can spend a whole day on the street. The zoning proposal attacks a problem that has solved itself.%u201dStill, Silver would like to see the zoning modification become law. %u201cThere are certain types of businesses that can%u2019t make it on this street,%u201d he said. %u201cThose places with less than high volume and family businesses can%u2019t stay.%u201d He cited the closing of St. George%u2019s Radio Service as one example.%u201cThe neighborhood is not suited for operations like fast-food restaurants,%u201d Silver said. %u201c A historic district has a certain amount of ambience, a certain flavor at odds with what happens when fast food places come in...we want to preserve the diversity.%u201dPlanning Board 6Monthly Meeting Halted for Lack of QuorumBY MARTHA DOGGETTYou%u2019ve heard the adage, %u201c What if somebody gave a war and nobody came?%u201d Well, what if somebody called a Community Planning Board meeting and nobody showed up? That%u2019s nearly what happened when Planning Board Six tried to hold its monthly general meeting October 18.Though the meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m., only 11 members were there by 6:35. By 7:30 with only 17 members in attendance, the meeting was adjourned for lack of a quorum. A quorum requires 20 persons.Items slated for discussion at the meeting included a review of the board%u2019s preliminary capital budget requests. Due to the lack of a quorum, those in attendance limited the talks to consideration of an application from Carroll Gardens Cojjege for Women, requesting office space at the South Beach Psychiatric Clinic at 250 Baltic Street.Normally, the board meets on the second Wednesday of everym o n t h T h i s m o n t h %u2019 s m e e t i n o w a srescheduled due to the October 11 Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur. Though it was 1;he first time the board had failed to raise a quorum, attendance is often light.An informal poll of board members turned up varied excuses forthe absences. %u201c I was really shocked to hear they didn%u2019t have a quorum,%u201d said absentee Nancy Clancy, who attended a meeting at her son%u2019s school that night. %u201cI thought to myself, %u2018They%u2019re not going to miss one person%u2019.%u201dCourt Street realtor Penelope Karagias initially acted surprised that the board had met and said she had not been notified. Later, finding a letter of notification, she said, %u201c I overlooked the notice. I thought it was another kind of report.%u201dBut other members saw the absentee problem symbolizing larger problems on the board.%u201cThe fact of the matter is that Board Six is not functioning in any positive way,%u201d asserts board member Salvatore Scotto. %u201c It%u2019s merely reacting to things. They%u2019re not initiating anything. There are lots of things happening in this district. Doehler Die, a new senior citizens center, for example, and other exciting things. Apparently there are a lot of people on the board who aren%u2019t interested inthese things. Other boards are active in seeking private funding. The fact is that the leadership of this board is glaringly deficient in taking any initiative.%u201dAn effort to deal with the absentee problem arose in February, when the board%u2019s executive committee received proposed guidelines governing attendance. But so far, no action has been taken on the proposals, which call for the removal of members who have three consecutive unexcused absences or a total of five absences of%u2605 %u2605 %u2605 %u2605 %u2605 %u2605 %u2605 %u2605New Budget Requests UntouchedOne item on Board Six%u2019s %u201cuntouched%u201d October 18 agenda was a discussion of the district%u2019s preliminary. capital budget requests for fiscal 1980. Under a new city procedure, community boards cann a r t i r i n a t p i n a f i v p - m n n t h h n H o p tbuilding process as an exercise in grass roots input.Board Six so far has made 19 budget requests, but more may surface in consultations with the various city agencies. Cost estimates will also be added later inthe process.Included in the budget package is a request for funds to build a replacement for Park Slope%u2019s P.S. 133 and to renovate the Bergen Street, Smith-9th Street, andPr\\nrfV%u00bb A u p n n p c n fu iro v c+o+inncThe board is also requesting a study to evaluate needs of police precinct 78 and to locate a site for the construction of new facilities. The study would explore the possibility of building a %u201c multi-use central community complex thatmay combine the precinct, firehouse and other service agencies.%u201d Other items are the renovation of the Coffey Park and Bathhouse complex in Red Hook, the creation of a waterfront park on ColumbiaC + r o r t t o4 A *> rl U o nBrunt Streets, the purchase of new fire fighting equipment for Brooklyn Fire Squad 1, and funds for the clean-up of vacant lots throughout the district.%u2014M.D.any kind during a single year.In an effort to determine why so many members were absent, The PHOENIX attempted to reach absentees by phone. Mary Barnard said she forgot. Robert Mollo had family obligations and Miguel Martinez said he was at another meeting. Each was listed as an unexcused absentee.Excused due to sickness were Aniello De Maio, Vincent Dolan, and Nancy Gooding. Selma Abramowitz and Michael Freeman were on vacation and received excused absences. Rose DeCrescenzo, Frank Mastromarino, and Donna Maggiore were excused for unknown reasons and unavailable for comment. Anita DeMartini and Salvatore Scotto were excused to.attend other meetings. Louise Finney was excused due to family obligations. A member can be excused for any reason if notice is given to the district office by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.The following were absent without excuse and unavailable for comment: Connie Barillo, AngelaR arhaoallr> C h a irm a n G erardCarey, Catherine Craig, Frances Crisafully, Elinore Flynn, Louis Gelormino, Joan Gilbert, Joan Hanley, Thomas Palermo, Jose Sanchez, Renee Taubenblatt, and Elizabeth Wynne.October 2 6 ,1 9 7 8 , T H E P H O E N IX , Page 3