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Transportation & Environment
Request by Dough Doughnuts (14 West 19th Street) to remove "No Standing 11pm to 6am" signs from the south side of West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, October 10, 2019, the following resolution passed with a vote of 34 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, The Applicant, Dough Doughnuts at 14 West 19th Street, a gourmet doughnut retailer and wholesaler founded in 2010, has requested the removal of “No Standing” signs from the south side of West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues; and
WHEREAS, According to the Department of Transportation, the “No Standing” signs were installed over 25 years ago, due to the prevalence of bars and clubs on 19th, 20th, and 21st Streets between 5th and 6th Avenues; and
WHEREAS, The south side of West 19th Street on the block outside of the “No Standing” zone is marked for 3-hour metered parking Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and
WHEREAS, There are, in the present day, no bars and clubs on the block in question, negating the purpose and need of the signs’ original installation; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant is primarily a retail business from 6 a.m. through 9 p.m., when individual parking would be most appropriate, and a wholesale business shipping to other retailers throughout the city from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., when commercial loading and unloading is prevalent; and
WHEREAS, The current “No Standing” signage creates a financial and logistical hardship for businesses such as wholesalers operating throughout the night, without any discernible present-day benefit to the neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, There is no reason why removal of this “No Standing” zone would create issues overnight in an area that is primarily used by trucks making local deliveries for a 24-hour business, and would in fact introduce additional parking into an already-quiet neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, The “No Standing” zone would revert to 3-hour metered parking Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the removal of the “No Standing” sign; and
WHEREAS, Over two dozen neighboring businesses have acknowledged the request by Dough Doughnuts to remove the “No Standing” signs, and zero neighboring businesses or members of the community attended or contacted Community Board Five to object to its removal; and
WHEREAS, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s office supports removal of the “No Standing” sign; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation supports removal of the “No Standing” sign, but requires the Applicant to come before Community Board Five to weigh in on a quality-of-life issue; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the request by Dough Doughnuts to remove “No Standing 11pm to 6am” signs from the south side of West 19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.