<< Back
Consents & Variances
Madison Avenue Post-Parade Events
WHEREAS, the following five (5) applicants have applied for Street Activity Permits for post-parade gatherings near and around Madison Square Park:
1. Sikh Cultural Society, street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23rd & 26th Streets, on Saturday, April 30, 2011 (Event ID# 23172)
2. Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., street festival on Madison, between 23rd and 26th Streets on Sunday, June 5, 2011 (Event ID# 22137)
3. The Federation of Indian Association, street festival on Madison Avenue, between 23rd & 27th Street, on Sunday, August 21, 2011 (Event ID# 21814)
4. Pakistan Day Parade & Fair Committee Inc., street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23rd & 26th Streets, on Sunday, September 4, 2011 (Event ID# 23330)
5. Muslim Foundation of America, street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23rd & 26th Streets, on Sunday, September 25, 2011 (Event ID# 22945);
WHEREAS, Community Board Five recognizes the long standing tradition and success of these post parade events, and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five recognizes the ongoing conflict between the needs of the applicants and the concerns of the local community, including both residents and the Madison Park Conservancy, and
WHEREAS, Over the past many years the local demographic has changed so as to be much more residential, and
WHEREAS, The success of these events has caused them to become much more crowded, by some estimations attended by as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people, and
WHEREAS, Community concerns include overcrowding, noise, sanitation, and their deleterious effect on Madison Square Park, and
WHEREAS, The applicants agree that a good portion of the thousands of attendees of each of these events use Madison Square Park's grounds during the programs; and
WHEREAS, Over past years the applicants have attempted to ameliorate community issues including but not limited to garbage pick-up, noise, length of event and impact on Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, A representative of the Madison Park Conservancy gave testament that it routinely takes the Conservancy staff a day and a half to clean up after these post parade events; and
WHEREAS, Despite previous best efforts, it is to be noted that members of the community overwhelmingly believe that these post-parade gatherings continue to be a burden on this residential area, blocking the streets and disturbing the park as well as neighborhood park-goers; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has concluded that these events have simply grown too large for the area around Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five has made a proposal to The Mayor's Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM) in order to permanently alleviate the strain on the residents while allowing the applicants to continue to partake in their celebrations on beautiful Madison Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the proposal would reverse the parade routes for all five (5) applicants to start at 26th Street and Madison Avenue and end at 39th Street and Madison Avenue; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five proposes that the post-parade events would then take place on Madison Avenue between 39th and 42nd Streets, and on 41st Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the proposal allots a comparable amount of space to the applicants for these celebrations; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five believes that the proposed plan will be the best compromise to allow these street activities in our area with the least deleterious resident-related impact; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of all five (5) applications unless the parade route is reversed, moving North from 26th Street up Madison Avenue to 39th Street, with the post parade gatherings happening on Madison Avenue between 39th and 42nd and on 41st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue in compliance with the recommendation made to CECM.
The above resolution passed vote of 29 in favor; 7 opposed; 1 abstaining.