QUEENS — Street fairs have been a Forest Hills fixture for more than two decades, but a set of new regulations proposed by the city could mean fewer fairs in neighborhoods across the city, according to local business owners, who started a petition against the changes.
The new rules, proposed by the Mayor’s Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management, would limit the total number of street fair permits issued to 200 per year citywide — 100 in Manhattan and 100 for the other four boroughs combined.
Groups would also be allowed to organize only one festival per year.
“We have two fairs, and they are two different fairs,” said Leslie Brown, president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 200 local business owners.
The Shop Forest Hills Fall Festival held in late September or early October attracts more than 200 vendors and focuses on shopping opportunities, Brown said.
The annual Forest Hills Festival of The Arts, held every June, features live music and rides for kids in addition to craft and food vendors.
Brown also said that, in her opinion, the proposed rules seek to address issues in Manhattan, where numerous fairs create traffic issues, “but that’s not the case in Queens."
In order to localize the events, the proposed rules also require that 50 percent of the participating vendors have a business or presence within the community board where the festivals occur, which Brown said would "disqualify nearly all groups sponsoring street festivals." At the Forest Hills festivals, she said, nearly 60 percent of vendors come from other neighborhoods.
As of Tuesday, nearly 600 people had signed the petition which was started about two weeks ago.
“Street fairs are an amazing way to bring people into the area, help promote local businesses, and get people OUTSIDE instead of glued to their phone or tvs,” one supporter wrote below the petition.
Local business owners said they worry their stores will be hit hard by the proposed changes.
“We are a growing small business and we don’t have very many opportunities to advertise so we do a lot of promotion and networking on the street fairs,” said James Corvino, manager at Steps, a women's clothing store which opened on Austin Street more than 2 years ago.
The Mayor's Office said that the rules are not final and that there will be a public hearing on Thursday, where New Yorkers will be able to provide their feedback.
The rules will be later adjusted based on the input, before going into effect in 2017.
The hearing will take place on Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. in the the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings on the 12th floor of 100 Church St. in Manhattan.
