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Consents & Variances
Newsstand application - SEC West 51st Street and 7th Avenue
WHEREAS, The applicant is proposing a newsstand on the SEC of West 51st Street and 7th Avenue, and
WHEREAS, The proposed newsstand would be located in an area that registers heavy pedestrian flow, near the heart of Times Square and the theater district and within one block of at least one other existing newsstand; and
WHEREAS, 2,000 pedestrians have been killed in motor vehicle collisions on the streets of New York City in the past 12 years and each day approximately 35 pedestrians are struck by autos in NYC. Safety is a crucial concern for Community Board Five; and
WHEREAS, The proposed newsstand would have a negative impact on pedestrian traffic, adding to congestion and creating an unsafe condition; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five is gravely concerned by the increase of applications for newsstands within its district, and strongly urges Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Transportation and the Design Commission to work with CB5 and other interested parties to establish a master plan for new newsstand locations, and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five recognizes that applications for newsstands are usually presented by small business, minority owners and urges the Department of Small Business Services to assist applicants in the cumbersome application process; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five takes its role in the review of applications for newsstands seriously and requests an opportunity to review the applications before consent is granted by the Department of Consumer Affairs; and
WHEREAS, The applicant was invited, yet failed to attend Community Board Five’s Consents and Variances meeting on June 29, 2009 to present their application for review; and
WHEREAS, Although any questions that the Committee might have regarding the application could not be addressed since the applicant failed to appear, applicant’s absence did not have an effect on our deliberations and the same conclusion would have been made had applicant been present; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the application to install a newsstand at the SEC of West 51st Street and 7th Avenue, and be it further
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five urges DOT to proceed with the pedestrian count at the location at rush hour, 5pm on weekdays, and be it further
RESOLVED, That in recognizing that the cost of applying for a newsstand is very high to small business owners and operators, Community Board Five requests that DCA refunds the application fee for applications that are denied.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 35 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining.