WHEREAS, Central Park is a NYC Scenic Landmark and the Belgian restaurant chain (23 in Manhattan), Le Pain Quotidien, as a result of a  Parks Department  RFP, has been designated as the operator of a cafe in the Mineral Springs building at the north end of the Sheep Meadow in Central Park, roughly between 69th and 70th Streets; and

WHEREAS, The cafe will occupy 1,600 sq. ft. of the 4,000 sq. ft. building, the remainder of the building continuing to be used by the Parks Department for maintenance purposes and public rest rooms; and

WHEREAS, The new occupant will require substantial improvements for its operation which replaces a snack bar, now closed, which modifications have been approved by the Parks Department and two other Community Boards adjacent to Central Park; and

WHEREAS, The principal changes to this building, which dates back to 1958-9 and is not considered historically important, include:

1.            Removal of an exterior metal roll-up gate which was above a counter for serving hot dogs, etc. to be replaced by wooden accordion doors

2.            Restoration of two windows on the side of the building which are in disrepair

3.            Replacement of hollow metal door at the rear of the building with similar door

4.            Placement of 20 tables and 40 chairs on the terrace, all removable for storage inside the cafe at night

5.            New discreet signage with halo lighting; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 30% of the seats will be available for non-customers of the cafe; and

WHEREAS, The hours of operation will be 7 am to 7 pm; and

WHEREAS, The applicant intends to serve only beer and wine and agreed to come before CB 5's PSQL Committee for review if required; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends approval of the Le Pain Quotidien capital improvement project at Central Park Mineral Springs building.

The above resolution passed by a vote of 31 in favor; 0 opposed; 2 abstaining.

WHEREAS, Bryant Park Corporation, the applicant, is proposing to modify and upgrade the design of the lighting in Bryant Park and to install additional lighting throughout the Park; and

WHEREAS, Bryant Park, a New York City Scenic Landmark, is a formal French style garden designed in 1933 by Lusby Simpson, and was reconstructed and partially redesigned by Hanna/Olin in 1988-91; and

 WHEREAS, In years subsequent to the 1988-91 reconstruction, Bryant Park has become the host of special events throughout the year, which have substantially increased the number of visitors; and

WHEREAS, Several of the events such as Thursdays at 5 live music performances, HBO/Bryant Park Film Festival, Fashion Week, The Pond at Bryant Park ice skating, and The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park are conducted in the evening hours, having people in the park after dark, even as late as midnight; and

WHEREAS, The applicant proposes:

• To reduce operational maintenance
• Control energy usage
• Increase lighting (illuminance) levels, both measured and perceived (vertical levels)
• Reinforce the nighttime sense of the "urban room"
• Create greater lighting "flexibility" in response to diverse usage ; and

WHEREAS, The new light pole fixtures will be similar in design to the existing fixtures, except that they

• Will have twin instead of single globes
• Will contain an electrical outlet for seasonal displays
• Will be on dimmer switches so that they can be gradually turned down in the later hours of the evening or turned to very low levels when necessary; and

 WHEREAS, Certain other elements of the park will also be enhanced by installation of uplighting fixtures:

• Ingrade metal halide lights at statuary
• Ingrade LED uplights at balustrades
• Uplight enhancement at rear wall of the Public Library; and

WHEREAS, The new lighting configuration is designed to illuminate parts of the park less frequented at night because they are less inviting to the public, especially in the winter months; and

WHEREAS, An increase of the illuminance levels is beneficial to evening visitors, in that better lighting equates a deterrent to the criminal element while accommodating safer accessibility into and out of the Park; and

WHEREAS, The applicant will obtain approval of the changes from NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and the Public Art Commission; and

WHEREAS, The proposed design is harmonious with the existing historic park and its surroundings; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to modify and upgrade the lighting throughout Bryant Park.

WHEREAS, The owner and developer of an 124 bed Indigo Hotel presently under construction at 127-129th West 28th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues have requested a two-car loading and unloading zone be created in front of the property; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation policy is to grant such requests for hotels with more than 100 rooms; and

WHEREAS, The Indigo Hotel at this location will be a full-service hotel and will require frequent taxi and other vehicle service that would create added congestion through double parking if there were no loading and unloading zone: and

WHEREAS, This is an extremely congested area during business hours; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends that the Department of Transportation establish a hotel loading and unloading zone at 127-129 West 28th Street.

The above resolution passed by a vote of 25 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstaining.

WHEREAS, The applicant, the Trump Organization , has requested a certificate of appropriateness for modifications and improvements to the Loula D. Lasker Swimming Pool and Skating Rink, located in the north end of Central Park; and

WHEREAS, The facility was designed in 1963 and built over the subsequent years, and its condition warrants such repairs; and

WHEREAS, The Parks Department has requested such improvements in exchange for a concession to operate the facility; and

WHEREAS, The applicant has successfully overseen a similar renovation of Wollman Rink in the southern end of Central Park; and

WHEREAS, The applicant proposes to relocate the stairs, replace the hand railings, add office and concession space, remove the chin link fence, add planting beds and rolling security gate; and

WHEREAS, All modifications contribute to increased functionality and safety of the facility; and

WHEREAS, The 4 blue fountains will remain intact; and

WHEREAS, The applicant's architect has successfully responded to comments and concerns of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; and

WHEREAS, The material selection and detailing are sympathetic and complimentary to the original design; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the Lasker Rink Improvements.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 29 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.   

WHEREAS, The application is for a lighting plan and the decorative painting of cast iron ceiling components; and

WHEREAS, The restoration of the historic Minton tile ceiling in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade is underway, and the Conservancy's restoration proposal as initially approved did not address the lighting of the ceiling or the decorative painting of its ornamental cast iron suspension framework; and

WHEREAS, At that time, the applicant proposed to design both the ceiling lighting and decorative painting in the context of restored panels that would allow them to prepare mock-ups, and the Conservancy has since developed the design of these elements accordingly; and

WHEREAS, No provision for artificial light was made in the original design of the Arcade, and the only integral lighting element in Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould's design was a skylight of colored glass, and the architects intended that the Arcade's floor and ceiling, both of which were originally encaustic tile (the current floor dates to 1912), would serve to brighten the space by reflecting indirect natural light; and

WHEREAS, Artificial lighting has been introduced to the Arcade in conjunction with the programmed use of the space at various periods in its history, and large pendant globe fixtures, suspended from the intersections of the ceiling's ornamental cast iron suspension grid, were installed as part of the restoration work of the 1980's; and

WHEREAS, The objectives of the lighting design for the Arcade are to light the Arcade by enabling the highly reflective surface of the restored Minton tile ceiling to illuminate the space as intended and respect the historic architectural and decorative fabric of the Arcade by adopting a minimalist approach to the fixture itself, and avoiding schemes that would require fixtures to be surface-mounted to the sandstone which contributed to its deterioration in the past; and

WHEREAS, The proposed design to achieve these objectives consists of:

• Installing a series of small halogen up-lights suspended from the cast iron ceiling
• Frame work at regular intervals, generally two fixtures per cast iron rib segment at each side of the tile panels
• Each fixture would measure approximately 5x2 in. x 7.5 in. with a curved underside and lens
• The fixtures would be suspended below and parallel to the cast iron ribs, directly beneath two of the twelve" holly leaf" elements that run down the center of each rib segment
• The fixtures would be suspended 24 in. below the ceiling at a height of fourteen feet above the floor
• The proposed finish for the fixtures and suspension is an anodized metallic finish in a neutral warm-gray, antique-bronze color
• No fixtures are to be suspended from the cast iron segments down the center of the ceiling or along the Arcade walls; and

WHEREAS, In absence of clear information about the color scheme, the design team established that the original cast iron treatment most likely included gold, and implemented a color scheme consisting of an artificial gold finish and tnemic paint in a single-color, and based on this analysis of relevant theory and utilizing a precedent design approach to the decorative painting of the cast iron ceiling components, gold will be used on the areas of highest relief , blue will serve as the mediating color, and red-brown will be used on receding areas; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five was impressed with the effort put forth by the Conservancy to restore the Bethesda terrace arcade ceiling to its original splendor; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to paint the cast iron parts of the ceiling and install new lighting of the historic Minton tile ceiling in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade.

WHEREAS, The application is to install an 8-inch wide granite band around the Imagine Mosaic in Central Park; and

WHEREAS, In the course of the Central Park Conservancy’s ongoing efforts to conserve the Imagine Mosaic, they have identified additional measures that would be helpful in preventing future deterioration; and

WHEREAS, Water infiltration has been a major cause of cracks in the mosaic, popping tiles and the deterioration of the concrete foundation, which have become increasingly evident over the past year; and

WHEREAS, In addition to repaving the surrounding area, the Central Park Conservancy plans to address the water infiltration problem by creating a sealed joint between the pavement and the perimeter of the mosaic by proposing to add an 8-inch-wide granite band, flush with the perimeter of the mosaic and black to match the surrounding asphalt pavement, which would enable the Central Park Conservancy to create the sealed joint; and

WHEREAS, The proposed solution is not a panacea, but would postpone using more radical measures; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to install an 8-inch wide granite band around the Imagine Mosaic in Central Park.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 29 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.     

WHEREAS, The Central Park Conservancy has filed an application for the reconstruction of the East 85th Street Playground in Central Park (also known as Ancient Playground); and

WHEREAS, The East 85th Street Playground occupies a footprint of approximately 36,000 square feet and is entered through a single gate located at the eastern perimeter on Fifth Avenue; and

WHEREAS, The existing playground has gone largely unimproved since its last reconstruction in 1972, and the Central Park Conservancy seeks to:

• Enhance the playground design by renovating existing play structures and adding new equipment;

• Make the playground more responsive to contemporary users;

• Reconfigure and architecturally restore the playground's comfort station;

• Upgrade the playground to bring it within compliance of current ADA standards; and

WHEREAS, The Central Park Conservancy will utilize materials in the reconstruction that are sensitive to the history and the original design of the playground; and

WHEREAS, Part of this proposed reconstruction calls for the restoration and reinstallation of the ornamental Osborn Gates, (commissioned in the 1950's and completed by Paul Manship) for which approval is not sought at this time; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application for the proposed reconstruction with the understanding that the specific plan for the Osborn Gates and the signage for the playground will be reviewed by the Board at a future time.

WHEREAS, The Central Park Conservancy has proposed to restore the Central Park Lake shoreline and landscaping; and

WHEREAS, This project will address the deteriorated condition of the Lake edge and adjacent landscape through reconstruction of the shoreline and the surrounding pedestrian paths in their existing configurations; and

WHEREAS, The four general project goals are to improve water quality, enhance landscape character, promote wildlife habitat, and restore historic architectural structures; and

WHEREAS, The project will be phased over a five-year period and carefully managed to minimize impact on the Park and its users; and

WHEREAS, The first construction phase, proposed to begin in summer 2006 with substantial completion in winter 2007, will restore the northwest cove known as Bank Rock Bay and its surrounding landscape; and

WHEREAS, Subsequent phases will be scheduled as the work progresses and as funds become available; and

WHEREAS, Since the five-year duration of the Lake project requires a level of community outreach not typically associated with a single capital project, The Central Park Conservancy will provide periodic updates on the progress and proposed phasing via the surrounding Community Boards; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of the application to restore the Central Park Lake shoreline and landscaping.

The above resolution passed with a vote of 37 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention.