Joint CONSENTS & VARIANCES and PARKS

• Sikh Cultural Society, on Madison Avenue between 23rdand 26thStreets; Saturday, April 21, 2012
• Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., on Madison Ave. between 23rdand 26thStreets; Sunday, June 3rd, 2012
• Pakistan Day Festival, on Madison Ave. between 23rdand 26thStreets; Sunday, August 26, 2012
• Muslim Foundation of America, Inc., on Madison Ave. between 23rdand 26thStreets; Sunday, September 23rd, 2012
• Federation of Indian Association, on Madison Ave. between 23rdand 27thStreets; Sunday, August 19th, 2012

WHEREAS, The above applicants seek to hold post-parade events in Madison Square Park and on certain streets surrounding the park, causing the closure of Madison Avenue between 23rd and 26th streets; 23rd, 24th, and 25th streets between Park and Madison Avenues; and 26th Street between Park and 5th Avenues; and

WHEREAS, These events have been held for many years; and

WHEREAS, Organizers for each of these events have worked with SAPO, members of Community Board Five and the Madison Square Park Conservancy to attempt to alleviate any past issues; and

WHEREAS, Each organizer has signed a Statement of Compliance acknowledging their understanding and acceptance of the Policy on Madison Square Park Events, CB5's newly adopted requirements for holding such events in and around Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, Each organizer has provided a detailed plan and layout of their event; including sanitation, security, and post-event clean-up; and

WHEREAS, Each organizer has agreed to notify the residential buildings surrounding the park one week prior to their event; and

WHEREAS, Each organizer has agreed to meet with representatives of Community Board Five and the Madison Square Park Conservancy on-site two weeks prior to their respective event to work out operational details and anticipate any concerns; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the 2012 post-parade events in and around Madison Square Park for Sikh Cultural Society, Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., Pakistan Day Festival, Muslim Foundation of America, and Federation of Indian Association.

The above resolution passed by a vote of 31 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining.

WHEREAS, The organizers of the Persian Day Parade are seeking a permit to hold a post-parade event in and around Madison Square Park on April 15th, 2012; and

WHEREAS, This event was held in 2010 and 2011 without being properly permitted by city agencies, with no cooperation or compliance on the part of the applicant, and in violation of SAPO policy; and

WHEREAS, Due to the applicant's non-compliance, this event is not included in the newly adopted Madison Square Park task force findings and resolution unanimously approved by CB5; and

WHEREAS, CB5's newly adopted policy on Madison Square Park events limits the number of post-parade events to five, which is the 2011 level; and

WHEREAS, This event, as the sixth such event, would be in violation of CB5's Madison Square Park policy; and

WHEREAS, This event includes a partial street closure on Madison Avenue from 23^rd to 26^th streets; and

WHEREAS, This event has been applied for as a block party and both CB5 and SAPO have a policy of denial on New multi-block street closures, and this is a violation of that policy; and

WHEREAS, Event organizers did not provide a detailed plan and layout of their event; and

WHEREAS, CB5 continues to be concerned about the addition of another Madison Square Park event and park closure that further burdens the local residential population; therefore be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five finds this applicant to be non-compliant and in violation of policies set forth by both SAPO and CB5, and therefore Community Board Five recommends denial of the permit for a post-parade gathering following the Persian Day Parade on Madison Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets on Sunday, April 15th, 2012.

The above resolution passed by a vote of 26 in favor; 5 opposed; 1 abstaining.

WHEREAS, Since 2004, Community Board Five's recommendations regarding large events in and around Madison Square Park, from post-parade events to the Big Apple BBQ, have been inconsistent and, therefore, confusing, very often with nothing more than philosophical differences as the basis for board members casting their votes; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, CB5 established the Madison Square Park Events Task Force to take on the responsibility of establishing a consistent approach to hearing applications for large events in and around Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, The MTF's mandate was to gather feedback from residents, businesses, the Flatiron BID, and Madison Square Park Conservancy, and collect information regarding the many large events that request the use of Madison Square Park and/or the surrounding area; and use those findings to form the basis for a report with recommendations to the Consents & Variances and Parks Committees and CB5, to assist CB5 in reaching consensus regarding these applications; and

WHEREAS, Over a period of three months, the task force gathered information by administering a survey to park users, residents, and workers around Madison Square Park, resulting in 501 responses; met with business owners and managers; and obtained input from neighborhood groups, city agencies, and other stakeholders; and

WHEREAS, The report of the task force (attached hereto, the "MSP Events Task Force Report") was circulated to the Consents & Variances and Parks Committees and adopted unanimously by the committees after discussion took place at the Joint Committee meeting on December 5, 2011, with comments and input taken from committee members and the public; and

WHEREAS, The report made the following recommendations:

I.                   Establish Definition of a Large Event

a.       Involves street closures OR

b.      More than 3 hours in duration and significantly blocks access through Park

(Presently includes Big Apple BBQ, Post-Parade Events, and US Open and Subway Series viewings)

II.                Standardize Evaluations of Applications for Large Events

a.       Evaluate event applications on an individual basis

b.      Require a group liaison from each event to work with the committee(s)

c.       Require meeting with group liaisons in advance of committee's hearing of application for      detailed progress review of plans for event; to include the BID, SAPO, and any other stakeholders at the committees' discretion

d.      Base committee evaluation on applicant's commitment to adhere to a uniform set of standards (see part III), applicant's adherence to those standards the previous year, and evidence of best efforts to enact improvements

e.       If application meets committee approval, make recommendation as an "Approval with Conditions"

f.       Conduct post-mortems after events' conclusions, to be considered as part of applicant's hearing the following year

III.             Adopt Uniform Event Standards

a.       Require submission of Layout Plan for Event

                                                              i.      Locate booths off of curbs whenever feasible; if not feasible, locate food booths on curbs opposite park perimeter (such as the east side of Madison Avenue)

                                                            ii.      Isolate all open food containers and open flames from the public

                                                          iii.      Keep emergency lanes cleared at all times; enforce strict prohibition on double parking

                                                          iv.      Street Closures

1.      Restrict number of street closures to levels used by an event in 2011; any expansion of the number of streets closed signifies unsupportable growth of the event

2.      Require posted notification of pending street closures near affected blocks one week in advance of event

                                                            v.      Access and Navigation

1.      Require submission of plan for management of queues/crowds outside of event area

2.      Require submission of plan for management of access through or around park, including the posting of alerts at edge of park if access is affected; including events in Worth Square

3.      Require submission of plan for maintaining access to dog run and playgrounds

b.      Amplified Sound

                                                              i.      No continuous usage of amplified sound for events lasting more than three hours; require submission of plan for breaking up music sets/periods of microphone use into shorter blocks of time

                                                            ii.      Present plans for PA system; and agree to best efforts to utilize greater number of speakers at lower volumes

                                                          iii.      Engage Acoustilog, Inc. or other sound engineer approved by CB5 to address layout and technical specifications in advance of event

                                                          iv.      Engage sound engineer to assess success of these measures at actual events, when possible

c.       Sanitation

                                                              i.      Require submission of plan for sanitation, both for Park interior as well as any streets closed during an event, including commitment to a minimum number of cleaning staff to be supplied by event producer for duration of event, in coordination and with the approval of the Dept. of Sanitation, MSPC, the BID, and any other parties donating sanitation services

                                                            ii.      Require submission of plans for vendors at event, and a commitment to limit the number of vendors who will sell or distribute items which lead to impactful litter, including balloons, silly string, wrapped candies, flyers, and postcards

                                                          iii.      Request information from Department of Sanitation regarding amount of garbage produced by an event, for use as a metric in determining an event's size and/or growth

d.      Mitigating Damage

                                                              i.      Continue utilization of snow fencing around lawns and planting areas, to be erected on start date of an event

                                                            ii.      Require fulfillment of the bonding requirement to Department of Sanitation and Parks Department when applicable

                                                          iii.      Investigate bonding requirement to additional city agencies to cover damage of tree beds and plantings in park and on street curbs

e.       Playgrounds

                                                              i.      Require dedicated security person to monitor use of playground

                                                            ii.      Prohibit event attendees from entering playground unless with a child

                                                          iii.      Prohibit food from events inside playground

IV.             Address Event Saturation

a.       Restrict Number of Events in Park

                                                              i.      Cap number of large events at 2011 levels

                                                            ii.      Deny applications for new large events which surpass these levels

b.      Restrict Frequency of Events in Park

                                                              i.      Coordinate with applicants and city agencies to prevent applications for large events on consecutive weekends

                                                            ii.      Deny any application for a pre-existing large event whose application is changing its dates to fall on a consecutive weekend with any other pre-existing large event

                                                          iii.      Deny any application for a new large event which falls on a consecutive weekend with any other pre-existing large event

                                                          iv.      Continue to encourage NYPD, SAPO and any other appropriate city agencies to investigate appropriate locations and/or alternate plans for street fairs and post-parade events, particularly those with continued growth; and

WHEREAS, The Consents & Variances and Parks Committees unanimously adopted the findings of the MSP Events Task Force Report and accepted the recommendations set forth in the report; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, That, in furtherance of the foregoing, Community Board Five hereby adopts the Policy on Madison Square Park Events attached hereto; and be it further

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five urges the Department of Sanitation, the Parks Department, the Street Activity Permit Office, and the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management to review the MSP Events Task Force Report and its findings and to support the restrictions contained in the Policy on Madison Square Park Events as applied to applications relevant thereto.

Over the years, Community Board Five's (CB5's) deliberations regarding large events (defined as events that include approximately 5,000 - 10,000 attendees and more) in and around Madison Square Park have been extremely contentious.  From post-parade events and the US Open simulcast event, to the Big Apple Bar BQ, the Board's resolutions and recommendations have been inconsistent and, therefore, confusing, very often with nothing more than philosophical differences as the basis for board members casting their votes.  Since 2004, not only have these recommendations often been in opposition to the previous year's position, but many of the votes have been close, with just over half the board voting one way and close to half voting another.  This raises serious questions about what can be done to deliver clearer messages, cogent analyses and intelligent recommendations regarding future applications for these types of events.

Some of the issues we have struggled with regarding these large events include:

• Size of event:When does an event outgrow its environment?Although we recognize the quality of some of these events, many have grown in popularity to the point where exponentially larger crowds are creating numerous practical and logistical problems.
• Impact on the park and surrounding area:What is the impact regarding noise, litter, property damage, security, etc.?What feedback can be provided by residents, the BID, the Conservancy, the businesses, etc?Does the set-up of an event raise a serious concern since it must be done in as quiet a manner as possible, so as to raise as little disturbance as possible for businesses and those living around the park?
• Pedestrian crossings/subway entrances/sidewalks:What is the impact of the addition of thousands of people on the sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and subway entrances?The corners of 23^rdand Broadway and 23^rdand Madison are dangerous intersections under "normal" circumstances.It has also been noted that crowd control is needed, particularly near the 23^rdand Broadway entrance, often due to this being a stage site.The MTA often has to be involved to provide additional crews to keep the 23^rdStreet Station clean during large events and to provide staff to help with directions.
• Traffic and Street Impact: How are surrounding streets affected vis-à-vis traffic and parking?Are buses required to be rerouted and bus stops and double parking monitored? If refrigerated trucks are used, what street can be used that will cause the least negative impact on the residents?
• Sanitation: Is there an unusual abundance of trash throughout the area due to these events and do they require extra collections?What can be done to make sure sanitation issues are properly dealt with and mitigated?What are the costs and benefits of any large event in the park?In some cases extensive power washing of sidewalks has been needed that involves over a day and a half of work (and cost) on the part of the Conservancy.
• Playground:Do the crowds in the playground exceed safety limits?Do security measures need to be implemented in order to ensure that the playground remains safe and properly supervised, especially for smaller children?
• Sound: How is amplified sound handled? Do applicants obtain the required permits, and is the area monitored for noise levels and duration, so as to create as little disturbance as possible for businesses and those living around the park?
• Simultaneous Events: Is there evidence that NYPD resources are available?If so, at what cost?
• Individual Sponsor Considerations:Are some events more size appropriate than others?Do some event organizers do a better job of handling the specific concerns associated with these larger events?Are some larger events less impactful because of the management and oversight employed by certain sponsoring entities?If so, how do we use that information to help all sponsors to do a better job while enjoying the use our public parks?

And there are other issues beyond the logistical and practical as well, including:

• The value to CB5 and the Community:Is the event open to the public?Does the community benefit from this event?Is it something that is supported by the residential community?Do the businesses in the surrounding area, the BID and the Conservancy support it or benefit from it?
• The value to CB5 and the City as a whole:Should special consideration be given to religious, cultural and ethnic groups, celebrating their heritage (from outside the CB5/Manhattan area)?What communities does the event represent?Is it representative of and good for our district?What positive qualities are represented?What is the tradition and success of the event?
• Quality and Popularity of Events: Does the event seem to be growing every year due to its popularity?Is there evidence of quality and success as to how the event is conducted in spite of growth?
• Working Relationship with Community, BID, Conservancy, Residents and Community Board:How successful has each of these events been in addressing concerns raised by any/all of these groups or in response to any questions?Has there been a continued constructive dialogue with the Board, the Conservancy, the BID, etc. in an effort to improve the event?
• Fundraising Component:What weight does this consideration carry in approvals/disapprovals? How does the overall commercial and financial benefit to the applicant compare to the benefit to the conservancy?
• Gathering of Information/Statistics: Do all post-parade events in Manhattan terminate with a street fair and/or is it required for the event to be deemed successful by the organizers?Do they all terminate at a park or at a large open venue?What changes have occurred in demographics around the park since the inception of the event?Does the applicant wish to hold the event in a larger or different venue?
• Purpose of the Park (Philosophical):What do we consider the role of public parks?Are they meant to be a place for large public gatherings?Are they primarily for respite and tranquility, etc.?How are the various roles that parks play balanced in an urban environment, particularly when different people see this issue very differently?
• Cost/Benefit Analysis:What are the problems that can be mitigated by better planning?Are there events and problems that people just have to learn to live with?When does an event become too much to properly handle?When is the overall burden on the community too high when compared to the benefits to the community?

Food for Thought Beyond the Issues Relating to Individual Events:

Additional, but important, questions also need to be answered: When we know that an event will be approved whether or not we recommend it, what should our role be?  Do we want to stand firm on those events we believe should be denied, or do we work to mitigate the specific disadvantages and problems on an issue by issue basis?  When, if ever, does saying "no" hurt our ability to reduce the negative impact of an event the board has serious concerns about?    What is the threshold for saying "no"?  What weight do we give to the "tradition" of an event?  When, if ever, is it appropriate for the board to recommend broad changes to an application such as a change in location or change of the overall footprint of an event?  What signal does (or can) our action really send?

Means to Accomplish CB5's Goal - Forming of Task Force:

The Community Board seeks long term, strategic and meaningful solutions to the issues surrounding large events.  To that end, in the next few months, a Task Force will be taking on the responsibility of working with the community, residents, businesses, the BID, and the Conservancy to seek feedback and collect information regarding the many large events that request the use of Madison Square Park and/or the surrounding area.  The Task Force will prepare a Report of findings and recommendations that will form the basis for creating guidelines to assist us in reaching consensus regarding these specific applications.

CB5 Action Based on Task Force Report:

We await completion of this Report by the Task Force, its acceptance by the Consents & Variances and Parks Committees as well as the Full Board. At that time, Community Board Five will weigh in on any applications we receive, including the Big Apple Barbecue, that request the use of Madison Square Park and/or the surrounding area for large events.

WHEREAS, the following five (5) applicants have applied for Street Activity Permits for post-parade gatherings near and around Madison Square Park:

1.      Sikh Cultural Society, street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23^rd & 26^th Streets, on Saturday, April 30, 2011 (Event ID# 23172)

2.      Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., street festival on Madison, between 23^rd and 26^th Streets on Sunday, June 5, 2011 (Event ID# 22137)

3.      The Federation of Indian Association, street festival on Madison Avenue, between 23^rd & 27^th Street, on Sunday, August 21, 2011 (Event ID# 21814)

4.      Pakistan Day Parade & Fair Committee Inc., street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23^rd & 26^th Streets, on Sunday, September 4, 2011 (Event ID# 23330)

5.      Muslim Foundation of America, street festival on Madison Ave, b/t 23^rd &  26^th Streets, on Sunday, September 25, 2011 (Event ID# 22945);

WHEREAS, Community Board Five recognizes the long standing tradition and success of these post parade events, and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five recognizes the ongoing conflict between the needs of the applicants and the concerns of the local community, including both residents and the Madison Park Conservancy, and

WHEREAS, Over the past many years the local demographic has changed so as to be much more residential, and

WHEREAS, The success of these events has caused them to become much more crowded, by some estimations attended by as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people, and

WHEREAS, Community concerns include overcrowding, noise, sanitation, and their deleterious effect on Madison Square Park, and

WHEREAS, The applicants agree that a good portion of the thousands of attendees of each of these events use Madison Square Park's grounds during the programs; and

WHEREAS, Over past years the applicants have attempted to ameliorate community issues including but not limited to garbage pick-up, noise, length of event and impact on Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, A representative of the Madison Park Conservancy gave testament that it routinely takes the Conservancy staff a day and a half to clean up after these post parade events; and

WHEREAS, Despite previous best efforts, it is to be noted that members of the community overwhelmingly believe that these post-parade gatherings continue to be a burden on this residential area, blocking the streets and disturbing the park as well as neighborhood park-goers; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five has concluded that these events have simply grown too large for the area around Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five has made a proposal to The Mayor's Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM) in order to permanently alleviate the strain on the residents while allowing the applicants to continue to partake in their celebrations on beautiful Madison Avenue; and

WHEREAS, the proposal would reverse the parade routes for all five (5) applicants to start at 26^th Street and Madison Avenue and end at 39th Street and Madison Avenue; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five proposes that the post-parade events would then take place on Madison Avenue between 39th and 42nd Streets, and on 41^st Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue; and

WHEREAS, the proposal allots a comparable amount of space to the applicants for these celebrations; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five believes that the proposed plan will be the best compromise to allow these street activities in our area with the least deleterious resident-related impact; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of all five (5) applications unless the parade route is reversed, moving North from 26th Street up Madison Avenue to 39th Street, with the post parade gatherings happening on Madison Avenue between 39th and 42nd and on 41st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue in compliance with the recommendation made to CECM.

The above resolution passed vote of 29 in favor; 7 opposed; 1 abstaining.

WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group has applied for:

• A special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a Big Apple Barbeque on Saturday, June 9th and Sunday, June 10th ; and

• A Street Activity permit for Saturday, June 9th and Sunday, June 10th on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 26th Streets, and

WHEREAS, The applicant remains aware of the continuing concerns of the residential community about noise, litter, property damage, and security as they relate to the use of Madison Square Park for large-scale special events; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five is aware of the problems caused by the unparalleled number of additional events of street activities in the Madison Square area and these problems multiply when major thoroughfare is closed; and

WHEREAS, The applicant's event has far outgrown the Madison Square Park area's capacity, therefore Community Board Five would like to see this event be directed to a more suitable and less often used location; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the application by Union Square Hospitality Group a Street Activity and Parks Special Event permit and urges the city to work with the applicant to find an alternative location for the applicant's event.

WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group has applied for:

• a special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a Big Apple Barbeque on Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th ; and

• A Street Activity permit for Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 26th Streets and 24th Street, between Park Avenue South and Madison Avenue, and

WHEREAS, The applicant remains aware of the continuing concerns of the residential community about noise, litter, property damage, and security as they relate to the use of Madison Square Park for large-scale special events; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five request that the New York Police Department supervise the set up and break down Friday night before and Sunday night after the event to minimize noise to the surrounding community; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed that sponsorship will benefit the community; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five is aware of the problems caused by the unparalleled number of additional events of street activities in the Madison Square area; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five recommends that all seating in the park be open to the public; therefore be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the application by Union Square Hospitality Group a Street Activity and Parks Special Event permit.

WHEREAS, The Sikh Cultural Society ("the applicant"), has applied for

• a special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a post-parade cultural event on April 29, 2006; and

• A Street Activity permit for April 29, 2006 on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 27th Streets, and

WHEREAS, Set-up would begin at 10:00 a.m. and clean-up would end by 6:00 p.m., with the event itself running from noon to 6:00 p.m.; and

WHEREAS, There will be an expected 8,000 attendees at this event; and

WHEREAS, Food at the event is distributed free of charge; and

WHEREAS, This event has occurred in Madison Square Park for the last 8 years, with no complaints about this event; and

WHEREAS, The applicant remains aware of the continuing concerns of both the residential community and New York City Parks & Recreation employees about noise, liter, property damage, and security as they relate to the use of Madison Square Park for large-scale special events; and

WHEREAS, The applicant agreed to either move their stage from 23rd Street and Madison Avenue northward to 24th Street or to stage the speakers from 23rd Street to 24th Street with lower sound levels; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five continues to encourage the police to monitor the sound level at events in and around Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed that the park will be left cleaner than they originally find it; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to comply with Community Board Five guidelines, including that participation in the events will not be denied to any group on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or religion; therefore be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of both the Street Activity and Parks Special Event permit applications of the Sikh Cultural Society for their event on April 29, 2006.

WHEREAS, Union Square Hospitality Group has applied for:

• a special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a Big Apple Barbeque on Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June 12th ; and

• a Street Activity permit for Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June 12th on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 26th Streets, and

WHEREAS, The applicant remains aware of the continuing concerns of the residential community about noise, litter, property damage, and security as they relate to the use of Madison Square Park for large-scale special events; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five is aware of the problems caused by the unparalleled number of additional events of street activities in the Madison Square area; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five recommends that the applicant continue to hold the event on 26th Street, to the 2 blocks, between 5th and Park Avenues on the north end of Madison Square Park; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the application by Union Square Hospitality Group a Street Activity and Parks Special Event permit.

WHEREAS, The Sikh Cultural Society has applied for:

• a special events permit for the use of Madison Square Park for a post-parade cultural event on Saturday, April 30, 2005; and

• a Street Activity permit for Saturday,  April 30, 2005 on Madison Avenue, between East 23rd and East 27th Streets, and

WHEREAS, Set-up would begin after 10:00 a.m. and clean-up would end by 7:00 p.m., with the event itself running from noon to 6:00 p.m.; and

WHEREAS, There will be an expected 7,500 attendees at this event; and

WHEREAS, Food at the event is distributed free of charge; and

WHEREAS, The applicant remains aware of the continuing concerns of both the residential community and New York City Parks & Recreation employees about noise, litter, property damage, and security as they relate to the use of Madison Square Park for large-scale special events; and

WHEREAS, The applicant agreed to either move their stage from 23rd Street and Madison Avenue northward to 24th Street or to stage the speakers from 23rd Street to 24th Street with lower sound levels; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five continues to encourage the police to monitor the sound level at events in and around Madison Square Park; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed that the park will be left cleaner than they originally found it; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to hire additional security to prevent the crowd from entering unauthorized park areas; and

WHEREAS, Addressing numerous problems caused by the unparalleled number of street activities in its district, Community Board 5 has adopted guidelines for recommending approval of street activity permit applications; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has agreed to comply with those guidelines, including that participation in the events will not be denied to any group on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or religion; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of both the Street Activity and Parks Special Event permit applications of the Sikh Cultural Society for their event on Saturday, April 30, 2005. 

WHEREAS, The Philippine Independence Day Council Inc. (Applicant) has made an application to conduct a street fair and cultural program on Madison Avenue between 23rd Street and 28th Street including the area adjacent to the east side of Madison Square Park on Sunday, June 5, 2005; and

WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to abide by the Street Activity Permit Guidelines established by Community Board Five and has submitted all required documentation pursuant thereto; and

WHEREAS, There will be no organized events within the Park boundaries except for Vendor booths, which will be set up on the outer sidewalk on the east side of the Park along Madison Avenue, and the number of vendors will be approximately the same as in past years, and all cooking/food preparation will take place on the west side of Madison Avenue across the street from the Park; and

WHEREAS, The street fair is being expanded on the north side from 26th Street to 28th Street in order to better spread out the vendor locations and reduce the density of people in the activity area, with 26th through 28th Streets remaining open to cross town traffic throughout the event; and

WHEREAS, The Applicant has agreed to increase the number of clean-up personnel on hand and to clean the park area continuously throughout the event; and

WHEREAS, The applicant is aware of the concerns of area residents regarding the noise associated with the amplified sound at such events and has agreed to set up the stage for the cultural program at 24th Street facing north in order to minimize the noise impact on area residents; and

WHEREAS, This event was successfully held in this area for thirteen years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc.’s application to conduct a street fair and cultural program on Madison Avenue between 23rd Street and 28th Street including the area adjacent to the west side of Madison Square Park on Sunday, June 5, 2005.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 21 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.