The FCBID works with tenants, owners and city agencies to mitigate problems and address issues that affect the quality of life in the Fashion District.

STREET VENDING During Summer 2005, the FCBID par-ticipated in several BID Managers Association meetings concerning strategies to deal with pending street vend-ing legislation. The highly technical and abstruse Intro 621 legislation was vigorously opposed by the BIDs and there has been no subsequent movement on the bill. The FCBID, along with the other BIDs in the city, will continue to lobby for more clear and effective legislation to deal with this serious problem.

COMNET The FCBID’s extensive ComNet database, which identifies and tracks infrastructure issues, was updated in Spring and Summer 2005 by graduate student interns from the NYU Wagner School. All issues were brought to the attention of the responsible party, whether property owner, tenant, or city agency.

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT ZONING In December 2005, in a 4-3 decision, the New York State Court of Appeals found against the city in the lawsuit regarding the controver-sial 60/40 adult zoning issue. The 60/40 loophole allows a store to contain as much as 40% adult content without falling under adult entertainment zoning restrictions. This loophole has led to a proliferation of adult content DVD stores in the Fashion District and other areas of the city. In this latest decision, the state’s highest court determined that the city must demonstrate that the 60/40 businesses still “display a predominant, ongoing focus on sexually explicit materials or activities” in order to justify doing away with the 60/40 rule. The matter is to be determined at a trial in Supreme Court, NY County. In the meantime, adult content DVD stores continue to open in the Fashion District despite the FCBID’s pleas to property owners that they refuse to rent to such uses, which negatively impact real estate values and quality of life in the district.

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