ALERT: USCC Demands Public Partnership for Union Square Reno PLans
UNION SQUARE PARK COMMUNITY COALITION, INC.
a non-profit advocacy group founded in 1980
P.P. Box 71, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276
e-mail: [email protected]
David Diamond, Board Chair
Community Board 5
450 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10123
– and –
Maria Derr, Board Chair
Community Board 2
3 Washington Square Village
New York, New York 10012
Re: CB 5 and CB 2 Both Reside Within The Definition of Union Square in the Original
1832 NYS Legislation Creating Union Square
November 28, 2006
Dear Mr. Diamond and Ms. Derr:
The Union Square Community Coalition is extremely proud of its widely known history since 1980 of working as a broad community based not-for-profit deserving much of the credit for improving Union Square and the quality-of-life in the surrounding neighborhood. As such, we believe that we have earned the right to urge our our community boards to give appropriate weight to our concerns about Union Square. The neighborhood that the USCC represents is far larger than the narrow strip comprising the southernmost tip of Community Board 5. The Union Square neighborhood we serve also includes major portions of Community Boards 2, 3, 4 and 6. In fact, many more residents of these other community boards depend upon Union Square for their primary public and park space than residents of Community Board 5 alone.
The USCC is extremely concerned about privatization plans at the Pavilion and North Plaza, obstructions in the North Plaza interfering with the exercise of the rights to free speech and free assembly, privatized interference with the publicly regulated Greenmarket, and the diminishment of the historic uses of the Pavilion and North Plaza. The Pavilion and North Plaza are National Historic Landmarks listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. And the USCC remains especially concerned that the Pavilion’s earlier use for children’s activities was terminated for the purportedly temporary installation of the privately run Luna Cafe that has only paid the city virtually the same rent as the tiny nearby news stand.
The USCC is particularly alarmed by Commissioner Benepe’s revealing letter of March 21, 2005, stating that “all the project elements are linked,” thereby clarifying to the USCC that the already funded improvements to the Children’s Playground were being held hostage until the Pavilion could be used commercially, most likely by a Union Square BID insider according to
recent statements by the Union Square BID Co-Chair and restaurateur, Danny Meyer.
Now — over a year and a half after that admission — the Parks Department and the Union Square BID are still holding the Children’s Playground hostage and still trying to prevent the Pavilion from being returned to its earlier use by the public for our children. Now Council Member Rosie Mendez and others express fears to us that the public funding secured four years ago will be lost due to the endless delays imposed by the Parks Department and the Union Square BID.
Thus far, Community Board 5 has refused to invite other “stakeholder” Community Boards to its table despite reporting in the New York Times (12/05/05) that Community Board 5 has patently lost control of the privatization process taking over its parks.
On one hand Community Board 5 writes annual letters of complaint to the Parks Department about out-of-control commercialization. On the other hand Community Board 5 has failed to represent all of its neighbors at Union Square to work in unison and address the massive residential and commercial development around Union Square. Our park space is not being increased for the growing public. Instead it is being increasingly commercialized. Union Square was created in 1832 by the New York State Legislature as a “Public Place” “from building wall to building wall.” Insofar as that special Public Place extends from building wall to building wall, the USCC believes that part of Union Square resides within the legal boundaries of Community Board 2 and possibly also within Community board 3 as well, and that by law, Community Board 2 and possibly Community Board 3 must be permitted the opportunity to participate with Community Board 5 in the community board advisory process regarding any plans for this special Public Place.
In addition, Community Board 5 has twice resolved (February 10, 2005 and February 9, 2006) that the Parks Department include opportunities for other organizations, such as “community groups, etc. to submit proposals for the pavilion in addition to restaurateurs, and that the Board be given full opportunity to opine on the RFP prior to its release.”
Furthermore on November 13, 2006, Community Board 5 resolved to support the Resolution of Community Board of September 13, 2006 and the Statement of Principles of 100+ New Yorkers for NYC Parks incorporated in it urgently calling for more transparency and accountability regarding private entities using public space commercially. While the Parks Department and Union Square BID have not complied with any of those conditions, Community Board 5 has not yet taken any official notice of that fatal non-compliance.
Therefore, the USCC formally requests: 1) that Community Board 5 officially invite Community Board 2 and possibly Community Board 3 to join it regarding reviewing plans for Union Square with an eye to Community Board 2 and possibly Community Board 3 being part of the New York State Legislature’s legal definition of Union Square; 2) that Community Board 5 invite Community Boards 2, 3, 4 and 6 to the table to discuss Union Square on behalf of the surrounding public and community; and 3) that Community Board 5 with the other community boards take official notice that the Parks Department and Union Square BID have not complied with Community Board 5’s two resolutions regarding the planning process for Union Square and the November 13 2006 resolution calling for increased transparency and accountability.
Now it has been publicly disclosed that the long funded improvements to the Children’s Playground have been held up for four years by the Parks Department and the Union Square BID in order to privatize Pavilion space for the same Union Square BID member leasing the Luna Cafe for no more than the rent of the nearby tiny news stand. It is unconscionable that over the past four years while the Children’s Playground has been held hostage, that Community Board 5 has not yet begun to work with the community to protest this. The USCC publicly calls for Community Board 5 to begin working with all of our local community boards together to resolve this by acting on our above listed requests. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Membership of the USCC,
Cordially yours,
Ernest L. Raab
Vice-Chair
Union Square Community Coalition