Community Gets Involved At Project Workshop
Department of Transportation (DOT) officials held a public workshop at Sunnyside Community Services last Wednesday, Apr. 30, to present a plan and get feedback from the community on creating two new public plazas underneath the elevated 7 line in Sunnyside.
The new pedestrian plazas will resemble other similar spaces in the city, David Breen, associate project manager for traffic and planning said at the meeting. He gave a presentation featuring slides showing other completed plaza projects, including Corona Plaza, the New Lots Triangle in Brooklyn and 71st Avenue Plaza in Ridgewood.
The presentation also featured slides of the current spaces under the 7 line, and depictions of the proposed plazas when complete.
Rachel Thieme, executive director of Sunnyside Shines BID, a nonprofit that works to enrich the economic life of the neighborhood began the meeting by encouraging those in attendance to comment on what they liked, or did not care for in the proposal.
“It’s very much a blank page, and we are looking for your input,” Thieme said at the meting last Wednesday.
She highlighted the positive aspects of the proposal, while encouraging the group to give her their ideas for the plazas. Thieme supports the proposal and feels each could add to the civic life of the neighborhood.
“It’s a great opportunity to utilize some empty space in the neighborhood,” she said.
The process began by applying to the DOT to nominate the plaza locations in the neighborhood, according to Thieme. Now the DOT is reaching out to the community to build support, and to find out what the public likes, or dislikes about the proposal.
“A really important first step is why we are here this evening to get feedback on how we should go forward on these spaces,” Thieme said.
An initial plan to implement the plazas proposal was submitted last summer.
Thieme feels the plazas could serve as central neighborhood meeting places that would generally beautify the area. She and Breen indicated the plazas could also be used to hold concerts or street events.
“We believe these are very centrally located. Sunnyside is very lacking in public space and these spaces are very centrally located in the neighborhood,” she said.
She also believes the plazas are a way to support local artists and invest in public art spaces.
“We also see these spaces as a way to support the public art program,” Thieme said.
Breen agrees, and emphasized the open nature of the proposal at this stage, both in term of public art and event possibilities.
“There’s endless possibilities in terms of public art,” Breen said. “The sites are really very open canvasses,” he added.
The space at 40th Street is about six thousand sq. ft. At 46th Street, the street goes through underneath the train, reducing the space to five anda half thousand sq. ft., according to Breen.
In the depiction of how the plazas could look when complete were “DOT toolkit” items that are incorporated in every plaza proposal. These items area already owned or budgeted for by the DOT.
The toolkits include movable chairs, permanent benches, bike parking, planters and granite blocks at the entrances, Breen said.
According to the DOT plan, the the plazas will not close and the public will have full access to them.
Breen also said the DOT and Sunnyside Shines want people in the community to bring their ideas for events and provide feedback at similar workshops in the future. “They come to us and we can take them on board,” he said.
Both he and Thieme are open to different events coming, and “any person can host an event at the plaza,” Breen said. He suggested annual events and markets coming to the spaces, but got many more suggestions from the community at the meeting.
Following the presentation, people at the meeting were divided into groups to discuss the plan. At the tables were DOT employees answering questions and listening to concerns, along with sketched blueprint drawings of the plazas.
During the table discussions, one resident mentioned safety issues, noise levels and pidgeons possibly being a problem.
Santiago Vargas lives in the community and asked if there would be portable bathrooms, but was told no by DOT project manager Shari Glickman.
He also asked her if the plazas would allow street vendors, and what will happen to those already there.
“We (DOT) do not displace vendors,” she said.
Other concerns included sanitation, maintenence and how a person could go about holding an event.
“As long as you can get a permit, we are open to everything,” Glickman replied. “Of course, there’s always a budget,” she added.
Another frequent question was the concern the plazas could begin to attract homeless, or illicit activities.
Glickman responded by saying the NYPD will monitor the plazas like any other area of the city.
“Our plazas all have signs, but don’t close,” she said. “You can’t lock the street.”
After the group stage, one person from each table gave their assembled feedback on the plan.
Concerns centered around better lighting and safety issues.
In terms programming and suggestions of what to add, many wanted more bicycle parking, a local map, a calendar of community events, pop-up restaurants, food trucks, music from above, decorative lanterns made from recycled materials, a projector to watch media, a Citi Bike station, farmers markets, local artist showcases and community partnerships to put on events with museums and studios.
Altogether, Breen feels the plazas make positive contributions to the communities where they are located.
“It’s really inexpensive and makes a great addition to the space,” he said.
Sunnyside Shines would maintain the plazas. They would be responsible for taking out the trash, watering the plants and cleaning up tables and chairs.
To provide feedback, go online and like their page on Facebook or give feedback to the DOT directly online at www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestri ans, Breen urged.
