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Transportation & Environment
Request on behalf of the Van Alen Institute (“Applicant”) to support its application to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) for Curbside Seating area at 30 West 22nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
At the monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, July 11, 2013, the Board passed the following resolution with a vote of 37 in favor, 1 opposed, 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Van Alen Institute ("Applicant"), owner and occupant of the building at 30 West 22nd Street since 1982, is an independent nonprofit architectural organization that promotes inquiry into the processes that shape the design of the public realm, and
WHEREAS, The Applicant is in the process of relocating all of its office and program space to the ground floor with the intent of creating a flexible public space accommodating exhibitions, events, offices and its bookselling program. As part of this move, the Applicant has submitted an application to New York City Department of City Planning (NYC DOT) to install a seasonal curbside seating area in front of its building at 30 West 22nd Street in connection with the NYC DOT Street Seats Program, and
WHEREAS, The intent of the NYC DOT Street Seats Program is to provide seasonal, outdoor public seating in the parking lane as an amenity to pedestrians at places where sidewalk seating is not available, and to build well-designed public open spaces that invite people to linger, and
WHEREAS, The proposed seasonal curbside seating area will occupy a 6' x 20' on-street parking space in front of the Applicant's building at 30 West 22nd Street, and
WHEREAS, The proposed seasonal curbside seating area, to be installed seasonally from April 15th to October 14th, will provide approximately 15 seats, two tables, free wi-fi and public programming on occasion, and will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended evening hours for special events, always ending before 10:00 p.m., and
WHEREAS, West 22nd Street is a one-way street with a single, east-bound traffic lane, and
WHEREAS, Current on-street parking regulations in front of 30 West 22nd Street are as follows:
No Standing, except commercial vehicles only
Metered parking with a 3-hour limit, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday.
No Standing from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m., including Saturday.
WHEREAS, The Applicant, as part of criteria for submitting a Street Seats application, has engaged in a series of public outreach initiatives to inform neighbors about the Street Seats program and to gather community input and support for its application. These outreach initiatives included:
- Two presentations to Community Board Five Transportation and Environment Committee (April 22, 2013 and June 24, 2013)
- Meeting with neighbors who expressed concern about the application, discussed our Street Seat plans, and offered to join them in visiting existing Street Seats or arrange meetings with DOT to discuss the program
- Creating a project page and opportunity for online feedback on our website (text attached)
- Coordinating with the Flatiron Partnership to include information about our application in their email newsletter (attached)
- Posting flyers promoting its Open House and project website at every building on the street and at our storefront
- Delivering informational letters and invitations to the Open House to all storefront businesses and many offices located on upper floors
- Reaching out to superintendents of residential buildings with flyers and posters for lobbies and elevators
- Distributing more than 300 flyers during lunch hours to passers-by on the block
- Hosting a community Open House on the evening of Monday, June 3, attended by about 50 people. Attendees were a mix of residents and people who work on the block.
- Making available project information and feedback forms at the Van Alen Books storefront
WHEREAS, 105 individuals signed the Applicant's statement of support, including:
- 8 residents of the block
- 53 people who work or attend school on the block
- 10 business owners
- 2 property owners
- 45 people who walk, shop, or do business on the block
WHEREAS, The proposed seasonal curbside seating area at 30 West 22nd Street intends to:
- offer opportunities for social interaction and individual use
- create a place for office workers to sit and eat lunch, students from the local school to gather, and offer a seat for children, the elderly, or other pedestrians
- encourage and support business activity on our block
- increase activity and visual interest for pedestrians
- draw passersby into Van Alen to engage in our programs on the public realm.
WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to present the final design for the curbside seating area to CB5, therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to the New York City Department of Transportation to install a seasonal curbside seating area at 30 W. 22nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.