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Parks & Public Spaces
Applications from Madison Square Park Conservancy for Annual Roster of Programming in 2020
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2020, the following resolution passed with a vote of 32 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Madison Square Park Conservancy ("Applicant") has submitted applications for their annual roster of programming for 2020, comprised of the following events:
- Kids Music Events: Kids Concerts on six days throughout June and July;
- Fundraisers: Party in the Park in March; and Celebrate Madison Square Chefs in July; Parktoberfest in October
- Horticultural ("Hort") Programming: Public Greenhouse activation March through May; City Nature Challenge in April; Hort Talks and Workshops on eleven days in April and May; Lunchtime Migratory Bird Watching on four days in May; "Open Green" lawn access seven days a week May through September, along with an open Family Lawn near Playground; Lunchtime Garden Walks and evening Park Tours once a month May through September; Full Moon Garden Tours once a month in September and October; Lunchtime Migratory Bird Watching on four days in September and October; Twilight Tour in October; Symposium and Symposium Cocktails in November
- Art Programming: Reflection Board for three days in January; Art Talk in February; Art Panel Conversation beginning of March; Live Story Share end of March; P.E.N. World Voices Festival in May; Film Screening in May; Evening Music Concerts on seven days during July and August;
- Celebratory Days: Spring Celebration in March, Earth Week in April; Arbor Day Celebration in April, National Public Gardens Week in May; Summer Solstice Celebration in June; Climate Week in September; Kids Fest: Circus in the Circle in October; Kids Fest: Stages in the Square in October; Howl-O-Ween in October; Leaf Fest in November; and the Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting in December; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has terminated the Big Apple BBQ and Madison Square Eats; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has pared down summer evening events from a larger stage with amplification in the south end of Madison Square Park to acoustic small scale events in the north end of Madison Square Park; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has significantly reduced the total number of events as well as the footprint for many events; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five believes that the nature of the programming is greatly to the public's benefit, and will continue to improve public access to Madison Square Park on event days from prior years; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has committed to return to Community Board Five to separately discuss any additional marketing or commercial events in 2020, subject to Community Board Five's standard review process and public hearings; and
WHEREAS, There is long-standing precedent for these events in Madison Square Park, and Community Board Five has found a significant amount of support for these events from residents and stakeholders in the community; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has agreed that if there are any material changes to any event from previous years (i.e., signage, set-up, scale, location, and/or ancillary activities), they will return and present these changes to Community Board Five; and
WHEREAS, When presenting future event applications, Applicant will clearly state whether or not these events are occurring concurrently with previously approved special events; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the applications from Madison Square Park Conservancy for their annual roster of programming for 2020.