MASK AND VAX MANDATES SET TO BE LIFTED
Right as students prepared to return from Winter Break, with the outdoor mask requirement dropped, a barrage of changes from both the City and State were announced.
During the last weekend of February, statewide COVID-19 cases declined by 98% since the Omicron peak. There was also updated CDC guidance regarding the spread of the virus, so Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York would lift the statewide school mask requirement this coming Wednesday, March 2. The new act leaves mask policy up to local school officials.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams moved to end the Key to NYC program, which requires patrons to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor spaces like restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues. Anticipating the continued decline in COVID case numbers, Adams targeted March 7 as the end date for the mandated program. It should be noted that a mask mandate is still in effect on mass transit, in state-run hospitals, shelters, and correctional facilities. Also, individual businesses can still mandate vaccinations if they choose, and it would be helpful to display your mandate with signage in your establishments.
NEW DATE FOR COUNCILMEMBER MEETING
Our new date for the virtual meeting with Councilmember Crystal Hudson is Tuesday, March 8 at 9 am. Join us for a conversation and Q&A about programs and initiatives in the District; register to attend here, and send any questions you have for the Councilmember in advance to us here.
PERMANENT OPEN RESTAURANTS PROGRAM IS ON THE WAY
As reported in Crain’s Business, City Council voted recently to revise and revamp the Open Restaurants Program that started as an emergency measure to allow outdoor dining as restaurants closed during the pandemic in 2020. The temporary program enabled more than 12,000 restaurants to offer outdoor dining on roadways and sidewalks outside their establishment.
The new permanent outdoor dining program that the City Council passed unanimously last month is designed to look more like the existing sidewalk café program, which allows restaurants to put removable tables and chairs on public sidewalks. The many varied built structures and seated platforms that are popular now will mostly not be allowed in the new program. Also, the new program requires restaurants that want outdoor seating to leave 8 feet of sidewalk clearance for passersby, keep the walls to a maximum of 3 feet high, and pay between $525 and $1,050 for a license.
More details are coming, and the city is asking residents and business owners to
fill out a survey about outdoor dining, accessible
here. Please provide your input for the new Open Restaurants program.
NOW YOU SEE IT — NOW YOU DON’T!
At FAB FULTON, we’re fans of good
“Before & After” transformations, and some recent work in our corridor is no exception. A huge THANK YOU is in order for our sanitation contractor,
Streetplus, who pressure washed or painted more than two dozen gates, walls, and fences in our district over late last month. (See more
here.)
We’re in spring-cleaning mode! The contractor will be going out in our area monthly so you can continue to send in requests for sites to be cleaned of graffiti.
NYPD 88’s BUILD THE BLOCK MEETINGS
Share this meeting information with your neighbors!
The next
Sector A (Classon to Clinton Aves) meeting is
Thu., March 3 at 7 pm. Check their Twitter account
here for more details to access that meeting (and we’ll post the info as well when it is confirmed).
The next
Sector D (Clinton to Flatbush Aves) meeting is set for
Wed., March 9 at 6 pm. You can log on to the Zoom gathering
here.
ART 360/FORT GREENE IS RETURNING FOR 2022
Our signature spring event that celebrates the art around us in our community is coming back for 2022! Save the date for ART360º / FORT GREENE, set for Saturday, May 14.
Once again, we will organize a fun day of hands-on art activities with local cultural institutions, as well as highlight exhibits, installments, and street art that draw residents and visitors alike to the neighborhood.
FAB FULTON also plans to once again sponsor area
creatives to produce colorful storefront window murals for a few small businesses in the district. This artwork is provided at
no cost to business owners. If you’d like to participate this year,
drop us an email, as we are starting the initial process now!
ABOUT FAB FULTON
The Fulton Area Business Alliance (FAB FULTON) is a non-profit organization that advocates for and collaborates with small businesses and property owners along Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill to maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming community while securing resources and partnerships for initiatives that enhance and promote the district.
This post contains links to the articles and information referenced in our latest FAB BIZ BLAST email communication. You can subscribe to future newsletters; sign up here for the FAB FULTON BIZ BLAST to get the latest information and resources for FAB FULTON Businesses!
