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Transportation & Environment
Request by 34th Street Partnership for a revised parking regulation allowing farmers market vehicles and vendors to park on Broadway between West 35th and West 36th Streets, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7am to 7pm
At the monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, September 11, 2014, the Board passed the following resolution with a vote of 34 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstaining, 1 present but not entitled:
WHEREAS, 34th Street Partnership, through a licensee, operates an open-air market in the pedestrian plaza located between the sidewalk and the parking lane on the easterly side of Broadway between West 35th and West 36th Streets; and
WHEREAS, The open-air market is intended to serve the purposes of (i) enlivening the public plaza, (ii) earning funds for 34th Street Partnership to carry out its work, and (iii) encouraging the sale of farm-fresh produce in the community; and
WHEREAS, The parking lane on the easterly side of Broadway is currently designated NO STANDING EXCEPT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES; and
WHEREAS, Vendors at the open-air market have been ticketed while loading and unloading merchandise because their vehicles do not have commercial plates; and
WHEREAS, Due to the cost of such tickets, the open-air market has encountered difficulty in keeping a full roster of vendors; and
WHEREAS, 34th Street Partnership has requested that, in order to facilitate loading and unloading by vendors at the open-air market the Department of Transportation (DOT) change the parking regulations on the easterly side of Broadway to NO STANDING EXCEPT FARMERS MARKET VEHICLES 7AM-7PM TUE WED FRI; and
WHEREAS, DOT is generally amenable to providing such no-standing signage provided the use of the associated market is limited to a "Farmers Market" selling fresh produce and certain other items (as designated by the DOT) and specifically excluding the sale of any other items not on the Department of Transportation's list of permitted Farmers Market items; and
WHEREAS, 34th Street Partnership has agreed to provide a plan to DOT to change the mix of vendors to make it consistent with what is commonly understood to be a Farmers Market as a condition for the change in regulation; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five supports in principal the change in parking regulations on the easterly side of Broadway between West 36th and 37th Streets to NO STANDING EXCEPT FARMERS MARKET VEHICLES 7AM-7PM TUE WED FRI, provided that the use of the market with which such parking spaces are associated is limited to "Farmers Market" use (as designated by the Department of Transportation).