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Consents & Variances
Union Square Hospitality Group- Big Apple BBQ, on Madison Ave, b/t 23rd & 26th Streets, on Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th.
WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group has applied for:
1. A special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a Big Apple Barbeque on Saturday, June 13, 2009 and Sunday, June 14, 2009 between the hours of 11:00am and 7:00pm; and
2. A Street Activity permit for Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 26th Streets, and
WHEREAS, Set up will begin late Friday evening and early Saturday morning before the event and cleanup following the event on Sunday, June 14th; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has expressed concerns that over the years, the event has grown in popularity drawing exponentially larger crowds, and has outgrown the area; and
WHEREAS, The applicants have worked closely and successfully with Community Board Five over the past several years to address concerns raised by residents and Community Board Five; but Community Board Five seeks long term, strategic and meaningful solutions to the issues surrounding this events; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has alerted SAPO and the Parks Department ("City Agencies") to the situation and has vigorously urged the agencies to find the most suitable venue for the event, through a tripartite dialogue with the applicant, City agencies and Community Board Five with no success; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the event until City Agencies engage in a productive tripartite dialogue with Community Board Five and the applicant to find the most suitable venue which allows the applicant to grow this event; and be it further
RESOLVED, That in the event the application is approved, Community Board Five requests the Parks Department to raise the bond to $10,000, and as per the following stipulations requested by CB5, the applicant agrees to the following:
- Leave the park and surrounding area in pristine condition
- Make a minimum donation of seventy five thousand dollars to the Madison Square Park Conservancy
- Keep this event is open to the public
- The refrigerated trucks will either be moved to 24th St. or a new type of vehicle that is quiet will be used on 25th St as not to disturb those living on the block. There was discussion about what would be placed on 24th and 25th Streets as to cause the least impact on the residents of 25th St.
- During the set up Thursday evening/Friday morning the police will have a presence to make sure this is done in as quiet a manner as possible as not to disturb those living around the park
- Ensure MTA and DOT agree to let the public know in advance that buses will be rerouted during the event. MTA will provide additional crews to keep the 23rd Street Station clean during the event as well as staff to help with directions. Dispatchers will be at bus stops and the police will make sure that no one is parked in the bus stops. The police will also monitor for double parking
- Ensure the police will provide traffic officers to cover the corners of 23rd and Broadway and 23rd and Madison to keep traffic moving and watch out for the pedestrians crossing. At best these corners are dangerous but with an additional fifty thousand people each day they are disasters waiting to happen. The officers there will make those corners safer
- Sanitation has agreed to make extra pickups of the trash throughout the area. It was asked that this be done south of the park as well as north. The Flatiron BID asked for the entire BID district and it was agreed. The BID staff will bag all the trash in receptacles for pickup. This will keep the entire surrounding area as clean as possible. There was an abundance of trash throughout the area due to the event
- Within the Park the police will have their full complement of staff as well as the security from the event. It was agreed that crowd control was needed particularly near the 23rd and Broadway entrance. There was discussion about the crowds there in particular because of the stage and the area for beer. There needs to be a better flow there and this will be addressed; and
- The beer area will again be cordoned off and the permits from the SLA will be posted; and
- Music was also an issue and there was discussion about the volume of the music and length of the sets. The Union Square Hospitality Group will reduce the volume and cut the number of sets; and
- The playground is also of great concern. The crowds in that space are really too large to be safe. Although the Parks Dept. representative told us that no one could be turned away they would have a PEP officer there to make sure no one entered who didn't have a child and that the play was under control; and
- Since there is concern with the number of children in the playground it was suggested that the BABBQ hold something for the children in the tents on either 24th or 25th Sts. Some kind of entertainment, maybe puppets, was mentioned. Union Square Hospitality continues to look for children's entertainment.