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Land Use, Housing & Zoning
Application N880133ZCM , 237 West 48th Street, Ritz Plaza, application for a design change to the public plaza and installation of an open air caf
WHEREAS, The applicant, La Masseria Restaurant, is located on the ground floor of the Ritz Apartments at 235 West 48 Street and has operated at this location since March 2004; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has filed an application with the Department of City Planning to establish an outdoor café with 6 tables and 23 seats on the eastern entrance of Ritz Plaza; and
WHEREAS, Ritz Plaza is a Privately Owned Public Space has a section including a September 11th memorial which is not open 24 hours per day and an area outside the memorial which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and
WHEREAS, The applicant is proposing the following amenities in exchange for the café:
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Add 18 new seats including 6 traditional seats and 12 planter seats outside the gate which would be available to the public 24/7;
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Refurbish approximately 24 feet of existing seating also outside the gate and available 24/7;
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Provide new Privately Owned Public Space signage; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has worked extensively with the Department of City Planning on this application in order to come up with these amenities; and
WHEREAS, Community Board 5 would like to see the following items added to the plaza including:
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An increase of seats available to the public from 18 seats to 23 seats so the public receives the same number of seats as the café;
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Improved lighting to make the public seating attractive after dark and improve safety in the plaza;
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Enhanced signage to ensure that people are aware that Ritz Plaza is open to the public; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board recommends approval of the application for a design change to the public plaza and installation of an open air cafe and encourages the applicant to provide the additional amenities requested by the board.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 26 in favor, 5 opposed, 1 abstaining.