The Community Board 1 Financial District Committee had mixed feelings about the street vending scheduled for Sun., July 3, on Liberty St. between Trinity Place and Nassau St. The event, slated to take place between noon and 6 p.m., was met with opposition by some committee members.
The vendors should move to another site, according to committee member Elizabeth Williams. “I think our fiduciary duty is to the community,” she said. “If this is going to really inconvenience a lot of residents and businesses there, we can look for another location.”
Committee member Pat Moore, is also in favor of relocating the event, which she fears will exacerbate pedestrian traffic along Liberty Street. “People are home on the weekends, and they do want to be able to get around and shop,” she said.
The revenue generated by such street fairs is critical to the community board, according to Committee Chair Ro Sheffe, who endorsed the proposal. “There is no ideal location. We don’t have it,” he said. “If we reject this because of a moratorium, we could lose it forever.”
The committee ultimately voted eight in favor, three opposed and one abstained.
