CB2 committee presses event organizers on bus routes, open‑streets and crowd control; several permits approved with conditions

The Community Board 2 Street Activity & Resiliency Committee reviewed more than a dozen street‑use and pop‑up applications at its August meeting, focusing discussion on pedestrian access, M1 bus routing, emergency access and outreach to local businesses. Committee members approved multiple small to medium activations with conditions, requested additional coordination for several larger or disruptive proposals, and denied or laid over others until applicants can resolve concerns about lines, open‑streets conflicts and transit impacts.

The committee, chaired by Will Benish, opened by reminding applicants that staff and community priorities include preserving a 5‑foot clear pedestrian walkway, reducing spillover into bus lanes and bike lanes, and ensuring adequate outreach to neighboring businesses and residents.

Why it matters: Several proposals would place ticketed or highly promotable activations on narrow sidewalks or curb lanes where large lines routinely form. Committee members repeatedly flagged the M1 bus route along Lafayette and the frequency of “open‑streets” activations as particular sources of conflict: when an adjacent open‑streets activation is scheduled, restaurants that rely on sidewalk seating can be displaced and transit detours become more severe.

What the committee heard and decided - Lafayette fashion show (August 17): Organizers requested a full closure of Lafayette between Bond and Bleecker for a daytime fashion show and full build‑in beginning early. Committee members pressed the applicant on M1 bus routing, how the event would interact with the Summer Streets/Open Streets schedule, the plan for pedestrian circulation and plans for DOT and NYPD coordination. The committee voted to deny the application as presented unless the applicant demonstrates a single clear plan that preserves pedestrian circulation and addresses the city’s open‑streets and M1 impacts; the committee asked organizers to return after DOT/SAPO have confirmed how the event will interact with the adjacent open‑streets day and bus routing.

- Il Buco pig roast (Bond Street, Sept. 21): Il Buco’s general manager, Steven Bloom, described an overnight cinder‑block roasting setup using charcoal, with neighbors and businesses canvassed and food permits and a temporary one‑day SLA alcohol permit pending. The FDNY open‑flame paperwork and the plan to remove cinder blocks/charcoal at the end of the event were discussed. The committee approved the event with standard conditions on sanitation, FDNY permitting for any open‑flame or charcoal use, and clear post‑event cleanup and debris removal.

- Coco’s Corner / Naked Juice pop‑up (Spring/Elizabeth): Rafael Guenamote said the pop‑up is designed as an immersive bodega‑style activation with up to several hundred visitors per day and a projected dwell time of about 14–19 minutes. The committee pressed the team to avoid the frequent problem at this corner — long lines that cannot preserve a 5‑foot clear pedestrian path because of tree pits and other…