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Consents & Variances
Brazilian American Cultural Center and National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) application to conduct their annual street fair...
At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, May 8, 2014, the Board passed the following resolution by a vote of 34 in favor; 1 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, The Brazilian American Cultural Center and the National Coalition of Organizations (NECO) have submitted an application seeking permission to conduct their annual street fair, which would be coordinated through Mardi Gras Festival Productions; and
WHEREAS, This proposed annual street has been previously conducted in Community Board Five for 30 years, and there has been very few complaints of disturbances to neighborhood businesses and residents; and
WHEREAS, The proposed street fair, as in years past, would be conducted on fourteen (14) blocks of Avenue of the Americas, to the north of West 42nd Street and to the south of West 56th Street, as well as on three (3) blocks of 46th Street, to the west of Madison Avenue and to the east of Seventh Avenue; and
WHEREAS, The co-sponsoring beneficiaries of the proposed street fair are not-for-profit entitled entities who have an indigenous relationship to Community Board Five, especially with respect to West 46th Street's Little Brazil; and
WHEREAS, The proposed street fair, as in years past, would begin no earlier than 11:00 am and would end no later than 6:00 pm, and is expected to attract several hundred thousand participants at different parts of the seven hours of the day; and
WHEREAS, CB5 recognizes that, given the size of this event, the proposed date of the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, was specifically selected, as in years past, as a date when many residents are outside of the city and are likely not to be bothered by this event, and
WHEREAS, CB5 is also cognizant that not everyone in the area will be out of town for the holiday; and
WHEREAS, We have taken serious notice of the small number of neighborhood complaints that have been received regarding this applicant's street fairs and have addressed these comments with Mardi Gras Festival Productions as well as with the New York City Police Department and other agencies, and we have received their assurances that all measures will be taken to conduct the proposed street fair in a manner that is minimally disruptive to the neighborhood businesses and residents; and
WHEREAS, To ensure a successful event, the Midtown North precinct of NYPD is deploying 100 officers as well as two alcohol confiscation teams and a special team to ensure no illegal peddling; and
WHEREAS, Midtown North has assured the Board that they have no issues with this event or its footprint; and
WHEREAS, The proposed street fair's co-sponsors, as in years past, have committed to abide by all of Community Board Five's Street Activity Permit Policies; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of The Brazilian American Cultural Center and the National Coalition of Organizations' application to conduct their annual street fair on fourteen blocks of Avenue of the Americas, to the north of West 42nd Street and to the south of West 56th Street, as well as on three blocks of 46th Street, to the west of Madison Avenue and to the east of Seventh Avenue, on Sunday, August 31, 2014.