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Board reviews open‑streets proposals, flags Elizabeth Street pilot and liquor‑license limits
Summary
Manhattan City committee reviewed DOT’s open‑streets list, focused on a proposed Elizabeth Street closure between Spring and Prince and raised concerns about sidewalk depth, liquor license rules and sponsor changes.
The Manhattan City Transportation Committee reviewed a DOT list of proposed open‑streets and discussed one new application to close Elizabeth Street between Spring and Prince for an outdoor dining pilot. Committee members raised compliance and operational questions — including how much street area restaurants may use under liquor‑license regulations, whether local residents could drive through emergency or local‑access needs, and who the formal sponsor of the pilot is.
Committee members noted that the block is narrow and that applicants should be aware of liquor‑license limits on placing tables across a street and the need to keep emergency and vehicle access clear. The meeting record shows uncertainty about the earlier operator for the block and a discussion that Peasant (a restaurant referenced in committee correspondence) had undergone an ownership change. Kate Shurer, the DOT representative, said she would check ownership and any gaps in prior years’ operations.
The board also highlighted other proposed open streets that had previously generated objections, including Morton Street between Seventh Avenue South and Bleecker Street and two Spring Street segments between Sullivan and West Broadway; the committee said it has asked DOT to follow up and to consider a study in locations with repeated concerns. Committee members signaled support for open streets for schools, stating the board generally favors those segments.
Committee members discussed scheduling and duration. DOT staff said the Elizabeth Street pilot was proposed to run April 26 through Nov. 1 in the meeting discussion, but the board requested written confirmation of daily hours and whether Thursdays were included; DOT agreed to confirm the precise schedule in writing.
No formal vote on the Elizabeth Street proposal was recorded during the meeting. The committee said it would forward written questions to DOT and consider further comment in its business session once the agency confirmed sponsor, dates and compliance details.
