<< Back
Landmarks
DOT presentation of a proposal for safety enhancements at Central Park South and Grand Army Plaza
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, July 09, 2020, the following resolution passed with a vote of 42 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Central Park, due to its size and cultural influence, became a model for other urban parks, was consequently designated a national historic Landmark in 1963; and
WHEREAS, Central Park and Grand Army Plaza, a square at the southeast corner of Central Park West and the intersection of Central Park South and 59th St. was declared a New York City Scenic Landmark in 1974; and
WHEREAS, Grand Army Plaza was commissioned in 1911 and inaugurated in 1916; and
WHEREAS, Grand Army Plaza was renovated in 1933-1935, in 1985, and in 2013; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, the Mayor decided to relocate the hack stands to a temporary location inside Central Park from Central Park South and Grand Army Plaza; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to convert 59th St. from Fifth Ave to Grand Army Plaza to a one way eastbound lane; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to add a 24 inch wide curb extension to expand pedestrian space; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to widen the horse-only lane on the north curb of Central Park South to 11 inches and to add flexible posts to keep vehicles from blocking the lane and to allow access for street sweeping; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to create four 11 ft wide travel lanes, one horse lane and a 10 ft wide hotel loading space; and
WHEREAS, Currently there are 2 travel lanes each of 10 ft width and 2 of 11 ft width, an 8 ft. wide horse lane and a 15 ft wide hotel loading space; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes, at 58th Street and Grand Army Plaza, to expand the pedestrian space around the Citibike station across from the Plaza; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to install a missing crosswalk on the east side of the intersection of Grand Army Plaza and 58th Street; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to install curb extensions on the south corners of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to install a full sidewalk extension on the north curb of 58th Street. between 5th Ave. and Grand Army Plaza; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to install a missing crosswalk at Grand Army Plaza and 58th Street; and
WHEREAS, DOT proposes to finalize the hackstand markings on East Dr, 6th Avenue, and 7th Avenue entrances to Central Park; and
WHEREAS, DOT is proposing to use generic materials, including asphalt for road and sidewalk resurfacing and thermopaint white markings and markings that are not enhancements to Central Park and Grand Army Plaza; and
WHEREAS, While the transit improvements are good, the choice of materials should be improved to better suit the exquisite historic qualities of these areas; and
WHEREAS, Community Board Five requests that DOT partner with the Landmarks Conservancy to design the proposed transit upgrades with superior materials that will better complement the areas in question; and
WHEREAS, Phase One of the aforementioned proposals was implemented without any notice to CB5; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five again requests to be kept apprised of future plans prior to implementation and recommends that DOT partner with the Central Park Conservancy to produce a proposal using materials that are not generic but of superior quality that would better complement the historic and urban qualities of Central Park and Grand Army Plaza.