Hankerson raises concerns about permit complexity and park damage
He says applicants, especially small community groups, struggle to understand requirements and denial reasons, and large events have raised concerns about parkland use, revenue, and damage. He hopes the hearing clarifies costs, benefits, and process improvements.
The complexity of this process can sometimes be problematic.
From both the side of the event applicant and the Parks Department, as it must walk a fine line towards maintaining a vibrant parks environment that also prioritizes
This is equitable access to all New Yorkers.
Event applicants, especially smaller community-based ones, often cite issues with not being able to fully understand what is required to secure a permit, not understanding the reasons as to why they may have been denied one.
Historically, there have been concerns raised about the amount of parkland used for large ticketed events.
The amount of revenue being generated for the event and the condition the park is left in after the event concludes.
Damage resulting from large crowds, vehicles, vendors, and bad weather during some of these events has sometimes left sections of parkland unusable for extended periods of time.
This has sometimes left many community members concerned that some large and commercial events can deprive New Yorkers of quality access to green space.
I hope this hearing results in having a better understanding of how Parks goes about approving special events, what the overall costs and benefits are to the city's open space, and whether there are ways we can improve the process to ensure the events are accessible.
To all and are always respectful to the parks where they occur and to the communities they occur in.