Should chain stores be required to fit in with the character of a neighborhood, and should their proliferation be capped? Those are some of the crazy ideas being tossed around by the East Village Community Coalition, which the Villager reports is, like, super totes pissed about all the Starbucks spots in the 'hood. While three locations within a big swath of city isn't exactly over-the-top, we understand the EVCC's complaints. After all, they are a group of independent retailers who are struggling in the face of surging rents caused by, in part, Starbucks and stores of that ilk. But wow, these are some drastic measures for a capitalist society. The EVCC has started working toward formulating a retail zoning plan for the East Village that would prevent chain stores from displacing local businesses and generally keep them from swamping the area more than they already have. Will local politicians endorse the plan? It's way too early to tell, but we may be approaching the day when enjoying a gingerbread latte while strolling St. Marks could be considered a dangerous political high-wire act.
· Trying to find a new formula to tame the spread of chains [The Villager]
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