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Community Board 2 committee denies Laneige pop-up, approves majority of winter activations
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Summary
Manhattan Community Board 2’s Street Activities & Resiliency Committee unanimously denied a guest-queue request for a Laneige pop-up at 45 Grand Street because a 5-foot pedestrian path could not be maintained. The panel approved several other pop-ups and conditioned several approvals on snow/ice and line-cut controls.
The Manhattan Community Board 2 Street Activities & Resiliency Committee voted during its Feb. meeting to deny a request for a sidewalk guest queue tied to a Laneige pop-up at 45 Grand Street and to approve a slate of other short-term activations with operational conditions.
Chair William Benish opened the business session and introduced the votes. The committee unanimously denied the Laneige proposal after board members and residents said the block cannot maintain the 5-foot pedestrian clearance required under SAPO guidance. Laura Smardakas of GSS Security had described a single-file sidewalk queue and stanchions for the timed, ticketed activation; residents and board members pointed to planters, a dog park entrance and previous events that had led to lines stretching blocks and blocking loading docks. “That particular block cannot be overrun,” Smardakas said during the presentation, while a resident, Darlene Lutz, told the panel she had seen lines that extended from the venue down Thompson Street to Canal Street.
The committee approved the following items (board discussion and conditions captured during the meeting): - DKNY x Little Sweet Treat (Washington Square North and Mercer Street activations): approved; board asked for site plans on record, outreach to neighbors and a firm plan to cut the line if crowds grow. Christina Yi, head of community, said the truck-based activations will have brand ambassadors and an expected rapid flow. - Carolina Herrera fashion show (25 Little West 12th): approved; applicant said load-ins would occur Feb. 10–11 with the show Feb. 12 and minimal exterior activity. - Miu Miu (guest arrivals and staging on West 13th): approved; Sheen & Sons Security’s Louis Yorey described staggered sprinter-van drop-offs and curb-lane use for arrivals. - Polymarket pop-up (137 7th Ave S): approved; applicant Phil Provost said most of the event would occur inside a storefront and leftover groceries would be donated nightly to food banks; the board requested clear cuts to avoid line wrap-around. - Kayali (Airstream fragrance activation), Mirror/TRESemmé, Briogeo and several other beauty/retail activations: approved with conditions to avoid sidewalk encroachment, require barricades when using curb lanes and include snow/ice contingency plans. - Bronson Banco (14th Street brief closure for a small show): approved with a condition to confirm a full-street-closure permit and SAPO/NYPD/MTA coordination for bus rerouting. - A McDonald’s-branded “Job Confessional” plaza booth: approved; applicant said participants would receive $15 gift cards and the activation would stay within the plaza footprint.
The meeting record does not include a formal roll-call tally with member names for each vote. The committee chair and members verbally indicated “Aye” to record approvals and denials. The committee asked staff to flag the Laneige location in SAPO comments and to add snow/ice contingency language to approvals covering SoHo and Tribeca blocks where sidewalks remain iced or narrowed.
What’s next: staff will transmit the committee’s recommendations and conditions to SAPO and to applicants; the Laneige application will be returned to SAPO with the committee’s denial and a note highlighting the permanent physical constraints on the block.
