Board 1 Approves 12 Street Fairs For 2007
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

Last August, a report criticized New York’s street fairs for clogging streets, creating traffic, and being “uniformly bland”. Well, get ready for more of the same in 2007.

At its last meeting of 2006, Community Board 1 approved 12 street festivals for next year, the same number as the year before. A total of 367 street fairs were held throughout the five boroughs in 2006, drawing about two million people.

The report, “Rethinking New York’s Street Fairs” was released on Aug. 6, 2006 by the Center for an Urban Future and said, “Street fairs, once a source of color, now mostly exasperate New Yorkers.”

During a public hearing that preceded the vote at the December 19 meeting of the board in Astoria, street fair applicants were reviewed, one by one. Sponsors of the St. Antonio Abate Society of Castrofilippo responded to a complaint about excessive noise and public urination while sponsors of the St. Irene Chrysovalantou Church fair were informed that the board had received a complaint about their annual festival as well.

“Residents do not want tables placed in front of their homes,” Ann Bruno, chairperson of the street fairs committee, said. Bruno said a complaint faxed to the board office noted blocked driveways, electrical cables run through private property and uncollected garbage. A representative of St. Irene’s said all electrical cables were run by licensed electricians with permits and that tables were placed on streets and not on sidewalks in front of homes.

Street fairs that occur on more than one block and/or more than one day in New York City are required to apply for approval to the Street Activity Permit Office of the Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit no later than December 31 of the previous year.

According to a report, street fairs generate $1.5 million in revenues for the city and are a primary source of funding for the community organizations that sponsor them. But the report also said street fairs all have a decided similarity because just a few production companies organize more than half of the fairs, using the same vendors in many of them.

Production companies help vendors who want a place to sell in a street fair obtain the necessary individual state and city permits and even sell them booths at the fairs they organize. Citywide, the report said, just 20 vendors held 46 percent of the permits to sell food at street fairs last year. The city receives 20 percent of the fees paid by vendors., $100 to $400, to participate in street fairs.

Clearview Festival Productions, for example, has been hired to produce eight of the 12 street festivals held in Community Board 1.

Asked his opinion of street fairs, Mayor Michael Bloomberg compared them to parades insofar as they can be disruptive and annoying to the residents in an August 7 New York Times report. “It’s a business like any other business.,” he said of street fairs in that article. Bloomberg imposed a cap on permits for new street fairs in 2003.

In other business, an application for a physical culture establishment (Gym) was approved for 31-11 Broadway. The second and third floors, formerly the Crystal Palace catering hall, will become a health club.

Chairperson Vinicio Donato noted the passing of board member Madeline Gillis. Gillis was appointed to the board in 1978. “She as a fighter,” Donato said.

Board 1 Street Fair schedule for 2007:

April 29, Central Astoria LDC, Steinway St. between 28th and 34th Aves. (1 day, 4 blocks).

May 16-21, St. Demetrios Cathedral, 30th Dr. between 30th and 31st Sts. (May 16 for set up, May 21 for dismantle, 1 block, 4 days).

May 28, Broadway Astoria Merchants & Professionals Association, Broadway between Crescent and 47th Sts. (1 day, 17 blocks).

June 20 - 24, St. Antonio Abate Society of Castrofilippo, (June 20 set up & June 24 for dismantle), Ditmars Blvd. between 35th & 38th Sts. (4 days, 3 blocks).

July 15. Friends of Community Board 1, 30th Ave. between 29th and 42nd Sts. (1 day, 13 blocks).

July 26 - 29, St. Irene Chrysovalantou Church, 23rd Ave. from 35th to mid 37th Sts. and on 36th St. from 23rd Ave. to under the Amtrak overpass (2 blocks, 4 days)

July 29, 114th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol, Broadway between Steinway and 47th Sts. (1 day, 7 blocks).

August 12, Steinway Street B.I.D., Steinway between 28th and 34th Aves. (1 day, 4 blocks).

August 16 - 19, Borgetto Cultural Association, Steinway St. between 25th and 28th Sts., (Aug. 15 for set up, 1 block, 4 days).

August 18, Dutch Kills Civic Association, 36th Ave. between 29th and 35th Sts. (1 day, 6 blocks).

September 3, 30th Avenue Business Association, 30th Ave. between 29th and 42nd Sts. (1 day, 13 blocks).

September 20 - 23, Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America (St. Markella), 26th St. from 23rd Ave. to under the Amtrak trestles (1/2 block, 4 days).

Oct. 14, Broadway Astoria Merchants & Professionals Association, Broadway between Crescent and 47th Sts. (1 day, 17 blocks).