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Designer Donna Karan Defends Holistic Center in West Village

By DNAinfo Staff on June 18, 2010 8:17am  | Updated on June 18, 2010 8:48am

Donna Karan at the full board meeting for Community Board 2.
Donna Karan at the full board meeting for Community Board 2.
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DNAinfo/Nicole Breskin

By Nicole Breskin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

LITTLE ITALY — Manhattan community board meetings are quickly becoming popular celebrity hangouts.

Fashion designer Donna Karan turned up to a Community Board 2 meeting on Thursday to throw her support behind Urban Zen, a West Village holistic center she established in her late husband’s memory that has recently come under fire by neighbors.

Dressed head to toe in sea foam green in a draped sweater dress and an airy scarf, Karan went to the full board meeting to support a catering license for the holistic center at 711 Greenwich St., which has been frequented by the likes of Christy Turlington, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Urban Zen had upset neighbors in the area, who a few months ago rallied against the holistic center's license, citing excessive noise and litter.

Designer Donna Karan, founder of Urban Zen.
Designer Donna Karan, founder of Urban Zen.
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Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

“If at any time there has been any sort of disrespect to the neighborhood let it be for naught,” said Karan, firmly defending the center. “It is really to create a community for all of you and for all of us.”

When Karan exceeded her allowed two minutes of speech time, Community Board 2 chair Jo Hamilton cut the designer off.

“Ms. Karan,” she said politely. “It’s two minutes.”

Neighbor Charles Amann, who had previously been a fierce critic of the foundation’s events, followed up Karan's speech this time supporting the license.

“I have never seen people want to come so forward and negotiate,” Amann said to the board, having met with Karan herself twice in the past month. “I’ve seen great improvements over the past couple months. I’m impressed and it’s hard to impress me.”

All in all, Karan’s team agreed to more than a dozen stipulations requested by neighbors for its license — from revising garbage storage and pick-up procedures to prohibiting amplified music.

Karan's appearance comes a week after “Vogue” diva Anna Wintour spoke out at a community board committee hearing to oppose a new Jamaican restaurant in Greenwich Village.

Wintour's effort was rewarded as the community board voted to deny the Jamaican restaurant she denounced.

For Community Board 2 District Manager, Bob Gormley, the extra attention brought to the meetings by local celebrities comes with the territory in Manhattan.

“We’ve got Johnny Depp coming next month,” he said casually with a laugh. “I’m just kidding, but you never know.”