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Parks & Public Spaces
Applications from Madison Square Park Conservancy for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
WHEREAS, The Madison Square Park Conservancy (“Applicant”) has submitted permit applications to the Parks Department and the Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO) to hold the 16th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party (“Event”) in and around Madison Square Park, resulting in the partial closure of Madison Avenue between 23rd and 24th Streets; closure of Madison Avenue between 24th Streets and 28th Streets; a partial closure of 24th Street between Park and Madison Avenues; and the closure of 25th and 26th Streets between Park and Madison Avenues, on Saturday, June 9th and Sunday, June 10th, 2018; and
WHEREAS, Set-up will begin on Thursday, June 7th and clean-up following the event will begin on Sunday, June 10th; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has complied with the Community Board Five Policy on Large Events in and around Madison Square Park, having submitted a written Statement of Compliance acknowledging their understanding and acceptance of said policy; and
WHEREAS, Applicant now owns the intellectual property for the event, and Applicant’s proceeds from this event constitute a certain percentage of the annual operational budget dedicated to the management of Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, Applicant recognizes the event's significant impact on members of the public who live around Madison Square Park, as well as workers, park users, and businesses around the park, and has committed to arranging the placement of pitmasters to minimize the impact on nearby residents; and
WHEREAS, Applicant commits to no event activation on 25th Street or in Worth Square, and to restricting the service and consumption of alcohol to the North and South Beverage Areas within the Park, the perimeters of which will be monitored and secured by a security team; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has provided a detailed plan and layout of the event including sanitation, security, and post-event clean-up, with several improvements from prior events; and
WHEREAS, After many years of Community Board Five questioning the appropriateness of the location of this large event, with its tremendous impact on the Flatiron neighborhood and on Madison Square Park on two weekend days in seasonal months of high park usage, and after three consecutive years of imploring Applicant to envision alternative locations for the event, Applicant has announced that this will be the final year of the Event taking place in Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, Despite Community Board Five’s continued concerns about the impact of this and other large events on Madison Square Park and the area around it, Applicant is in full compliance with Community Board Five’s Policy on Large Events in Madison Square Park, and has cooperated in good faith to improve the operational details of the event; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five commends the Applicant for its considered decision to discontinue or relocate the Event after hearing the concerns of stakeholders for many years, and appreciates the role it continues to play in fostering a vibrant, vital part of our district; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the applications from Madison Square Park Conservancy for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, to be held on Madison Avenue between East 23rd and 28th Streets, East 26th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue South, East 24th Street and East 25th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, East 27th Street between Madison and Lexington Avenues, and inside Madison Square Park, from Thursday, June 7th through Sunday, June 10th, 2018.