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Parks & Public Spaces
Promotions USA application to conduct an event promoting Huggies in Madison Square Park on Tuesday and Wednesday September 22 and 23, 2009
WHEREAS, Community Board Five takes its role in the review of applications for Parks Special Events seriously and requests an opportunity to review the application before a permit is granted by the Parks Department Special Permit Office; and
WHEREAS, Promotions USA has submitted an application seeking permission to conduct a special event in Madison Square Park on Tuesday and Wednesday September 22 and 23, 2009, between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM; and
WHEREAS, The proposed event would require set-up to begin at noon on Monday September 21, 2009, and dismantling and clean-up to be completed by midnight; and
WHEREAS, This is a promotional event for Huggies, engineered toward advertising their products to parents and children who are users of the park; and
WHEREAS, The event sponsors have offered a financial contribution of $60,000.00 to be paid to the Madison Square Park Conservancy; and
WHEREAS, The site plan for this event exhibits that there will be two (2) 20’-0” X 20’-0” tents set up in the northern section of the park, both of which will be branded with corporate logos, and
WHEREAS, One of the tents will exhibit new commercials, and will have interactive kiosks, while the second tent includes a play area for children to interact with an animation wall; and
WHEREAS, The event will require usage of a “whisper quiet” small on-site generator, and there is a requirement for amplified sound; and
WHEREAS, We acknowledge that there will be seven dedicated staff onsite at all times, and overnight security, which should keep disruptions to the park and the surrounding neighborhood to a minimum, however, we are concerned with the duration of time that is required in order to set-up, dismantle and to conduct this event; and
WHEREAS, Even though we acknowledge that this financial contribution is substantial, Community Board Five has repeatedly taken the position to deny access to our parks for special events that are predominantly commercial in nature and that offer questionable benefit to parks visitors; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the application by Promotions USA to conduct an event promoting Huggies in Madison Square Park on Tuesday and Wednesday September 22 and 23, 2009.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 31 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining.