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Transportation & Environment
Application by the Garment District Alliance to the Department of Transportation for the installation of seasonal “Street Seats” in front of 265 West 37th Street and 224 West 35th Street.
WHEREAS, The Applicant, the Garment District Alliance, seeks to convert one (1) parking space in front of 265 West 37th Street and one (1) parking space in front of 224 West 35th Street into temporary, seasonal "parkletts" with open seating for the public; and
WHEREAS, The proposal is part of the Applicant's on-going effort to create more public space in a crowded district marked by insufficient open space; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes to model the spaces after the fourteen (14) existing "parkletts" allowed in other areas of the city by the Department of Transportation in 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant proposes to use temporary materials to create four (4) "Street Seats" in each space, separated by planters; and
WHEREAS, Each location will be clearly marked with paint and separated from other street parking by flexible delineators and concrete car stops; and
WHEREAS, Each location will be marked with signage to indicate it is open to the public for anyone to use; and
WHEREAS, No commercial activity will be allowed in either of the proposed spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance is committed to cleaning and "resetting" the spaces every night and power washing the spaces at 5am each morning; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance proposes a contract with "Urban Pathways," a homeless outreach organization, to help with the potential increase in the number of homeless visitors to the spaces; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant seeks to maintain these spaces from March until the end of November; and
WHEREAS, Both, the local businesses and individual members of the public support the proposal; and
WHEREAS, The Garment District Alliance will study the use of the spaces, conduct public surveys, and engage with local retail operations to measure the success of the program; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant will return to Community Board Five to share the results of its program study and seek to make this an annual installation if successful; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the Garment District Alliance's Application to the Department of Transportation for the installation of seasonal "Street Seats" in front of 265 West 37th Street and 224 West 35th Street.