Close 96th Street – Helpful or Hurtful?

STONE HARBOR – At their May 19 work session, Stone Harbor Borough Council discussed the pros and cons of closing the 200 block of 96th Street for the summer or only weekends during summer. 
Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour placed the discussion topic on the council agenda because “everyone has mentioned it.”
Davies-Dunhour said she heard from several citizens and business owners who suggested such a move might allow people visiting the Stone Harbor Business District to move more freely while maintaining social distancing.
Prior to putting it on the agenda, the mayor asked for feedback from the local chamber of commerce, which was “just about a 50 – 50 split,” she told council. To the question of closing the street for the summer, 39 merchants said yes and 37 said no. Closing for only weekends in summer had more support, but not enough.
Of the several council members who spoke on the issue, most were not in favor, although some thought it worth further “vetting.”
Those business owners who spoke about the issue during public comment almost uniformly did not favor the potential closure. This was especially so for merchants who pay the highest rents in the district to have their stores in that block. Not having parking in front of their stores was seen as a detriment.
The issue of parking served a significant role in the discussion. To close the 200 block of 96th Street would mean surrendering 67 parking spaces in the same summer when half or more of the municipal lot at 94th Street will be lost because it will be a staging area for construction of a new pump station, on 94th Street, near Second Avenue.
No action was taken, and there did not appear to be much support for the concept going forward.