By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN WEST — The City Council voted to phase out the use of roll-down security gates Monday, to the delight of some business improvement districts and the frustration of some shop owners.
Proponents of the ban claim the solid metal gates currently used to shield storefront windows and doors have the unintended consequence of hiding the interior from police and firefighters during emergencies — increasing the danger from armed occupants or hidden fire. The solid metal is also a graffiti magnet.
But for some store workers and owners, the new rule creates an unnecessary fiscal burden and makes their stores less secure.
"We’re a jewelry store," said Egyta Jachimska, a saleswoman at Danielle B. on W. 57th Street. "We don’t want people to be able to see what’s inside at night. So the see-through gate is a detriment to us. It’s a safety issue."
The co-owner of Studio 57 Fine Arts, Eddie, who declined to give his last name, agreed.
"To inflict this on the business owner, especially in mom n' pop stores, is a big expense, we're talking thousands of dollars," he said. "It's forcing owners to do something that is hard already, let alone in this tough economy. It's a big expense that's unnecessary."
Not so, said Dan Biederman, president of the 34th Street Partnership. Take a look at Madison Avenue from the 50s to the 70s, for example.
"What really distinguishes it as an upscale area is not the streetscapes, but that there are essentially no solid gates on the stores," Biederman said. "It's so bright on Madison Avenue with the lights on in the store windows until two or three in the morning, it makes it feel like an area that can't be robbed."
Starting July 1, 2011, all businesses replacing or buying new gates will have to purchase the grille-style or mesh gate. Businesses that currently own a solid gate, won't be required to replace them for another 15 years.
Depending on the size, solid gates cost $2,000 - $4,000, compared to $2,200 - $4,400 for see-through gates, Vallone's office said.
Those who resist the changeover are "making an unsafe situation and their store unattractive by providing a canvas for graffiti," Biederman said, adding that light shining from the stores through the gates to the street would make sidewalks safer.
"So, from a societal, retail and really all perspectives, this is a great idea and an enlightened move."
