An Upper East Side private school won unanimous approval from Community Board 8 to close its street for student recreation, reversing last year’s rejection after reducing proposed closure times, according to Upper East Site.
Why It Matters: The Birch Wathen Lenox School at 210 East 77th Street between Second and Third Avenues says the street closure is necessary for outdoor play space at the K-12 school, calling it “an educational and developmental priority,” per Our Town.
Catch Up Quick: The school’s revised Open Streets proposal would close the block to vehicle traffic for roughly six hours per week — two hours a day, three days a week — down from the original plan of five hours daily, Upper East Site reported.
- Last year, 36 board members voted for a “motion of disapproval” on the initial proposal, with one member calling it “outrageous,” Our Town explained.
- The July 16 vote passed 42-0 in favor of the revised plan.
What They’re Saying: “I just want to acknowledge up front that our initial approach wasn’t what it should have been,” said Bill Kuhn, the school’s representative, per OurTown. “We apologize and we’ve taken that to heart.”
- Kuhn admitted “we didn’t do enough outreach” initially but said the school talked to ten businesses on the block for the revised proposal.
State of Play: The proposal allows parked cars to remain and permits deliveries. Trained staff would clear the street for ambulances heading to nearby Lenox Hill Hospital.
What’s Next: The Department of Transportation has already approved the closure as part of its Open Streets programming, Upper East Site notes.
