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Consents & Variances
Union Square Hospitality Group (for the Big Apple Barbecue) on Madison Avenue between 23rd and 26th Streets, 26th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue, and inside Madison Square Park on Saturday, June 8th and Sunday June 9th, 2013.
At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, April 11, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution by a vote of 38 in favor; 2 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, The applicant seeks a permit to hold the 11th annual Big Apple Barbeque in Madison Square Park and on the streets noted above that surround the park, resulting in the closure of Madison Avenue between 23rd and 26th Streets; 23rd, 24th, and 25th Streets between Park and Madison Avenues; and 26th Street between Park and 5th Avenues on Friday evening, June 7th; Saturday, June 8th; and Sunday, June 9th, 2013; and
WHEREAS, The event will be held on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 11am and 6pm, with set-up beginning on Friday and clean-up following the event on Sunday, June 9th; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has complied with the policy of Community Board Five as designated by the findings of the Madison Square Park task force concerning large events in and around Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has signed a written Statement of Compliance acknowledging their understanding and acceptance of the policy on large events in Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has provided a detailed plan and layout of the event including sanitation, security, and post-event clean-up; and
WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group will make a donation of 10% of the total proceeds of this event to the Madison Square Park Conservancy to be directed toward maintenance and upkeep in the Park; and
WHEREAS, The event has the support of the Madison Square Park Conservancy and supplies a significant percentage of the annual budgetary needs of Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, The applicant and Madison Square Park Conservancy recognize the issues brought forth by members of the public who live around Madison Square Park in terms of smoke in their apartments and neighborhood, blockage of buildings and after-hours noise; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to monitor and address the after-hours noise issues as created by pit masters preparing food for the barbecue; and
WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to consider such steps as moving a number of trucks to 26th Street between Madison and Park Avenues where there is a lower number of residents; and
WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group has a history of working closely and successfully with local authorities, Community Board Five, members of the public, and the Madison Square Park Conservancy; and
WHEREAS, The applicant and the Madison Square Park Conservancy have agreed to appear before the Parks and Consents & Variances Committees of Community Board Five at or before the December 2013 meetings of those Committees to present a proposal for addressing the issues of size, smoke, noise and blockage for the 2014 event and those in future years; and
WHEREAS, The applicant and the Madison Square Park Conservancy understand that a failure to appear before the Committees as noted above may result in a denial of their application for 2014 and future years; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the Big Apple Barbeque in and around Madison Square Park (between 23rd and 26th Streets, 26th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue) on Saturday, June 8th and Sunday, June 19th, 2013.