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Parks & Public Spaces

April 2022, Joint Transportation & Environment, and Parks & Public Spaces Committee

2022 Post Parade Events

Applications for annual Post-Parade Events in and around Madison Square Park  for dates throughout 2022: 

 At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2022, the following resolution passed with a vote of 37 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:

WHEREAS, The entities listed above ("Applicants") have submitted permit applications to the Parks Department and the Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO) to hold post-parade events in Madison Square Park and on certain adjacent streets as noted above, causing those streets' full or partial closures; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of several years, Applicants have worked with Community Board Five, in coordination with SAPO and the Madison Square Park Conservancy (MSPC), to improve their events operationally and alleviate any issues from prior years’ events; and

WHEREAS, Each Applicant has signed a Statement of Compliance acknowledging their understanding and acceptance of Community Board Five’s Policy on Madison Square Park Large Events and each of its required operational commitments and restrictions; and

WHEREAS, Each Applicant has provided a site map of their event, including emergency lane clearance requirements, as well as plans for sanitation, security, amplified sound, and cell phone contact information for day-of point persons to respond to any immediate concerns, all of which have been shared with SAPO; and

WHEREAS, Each Applicant has agreed to set the volume level of their amplified sound system by 2:00 p.m. on the day of their event, in coordination with SAPO and MSPC, and commits to no further increase of volume levels past that time; and

WHEREAS, Each Applicant has agreed to notify the residential buildings surrounding the park at a minimum of one week prior to their event, and to conduct on-site meetings with MSPC two weeks prior to their event to work out operational details and anticipate any concerns; and

WHEREAS, As the Sikh Cultural Society and Persian Parade Foundation events are taking place on consecutive days in 2022 due to complicated scheduling circumstances that are no fault of the Applicants, Community Board Five will remain in communication with NYPD regarding next year’s events to ensure that this does not happen in future years; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five continues to question the appropriateness of these large events and their detrimental impact on the Flatiron neighborhood, including the considerable impact on Madison Square Park in seasonal months of park usage; and we implore NYPD and SAPO to proactively consider alternative locations for these events in 2023; and

WHEREAS, Despite Community Board Five’s longstanding concerns about the impact of these large events on Madison Square Park and the area around it, Applicants are in full compliance with Community Board Five’s Policy on Large Events in Madison Square Park, have exhibited good faith efforts in continuing to improve the execution of their events, including multiple meetings and correspondence with Community Board Five for planning purposes, there is long-standing precedent for them, some of which have been held for decades; and 

WHEREAS, Community Board Five understands that there may continue to be guidance from public health authorities and New York State regarding regulations that might influence or determine the ultimate size and other operational details of these events for reasons of public health, and reserves the right to issue further comment accordingly; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the applications for annual Post-Parade Events in and around Madison Square Park from Sikh Cultural Society; Persian Parade Foundation; Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.; Federation of Indian Association; Pakistan Day Festival; and Muslim Foundation of America, Inc. for dates throughout 2022. 

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