NOW, ALTHOUGH I NEVER HAD A STAFFING PROBLEM AT KAIA, MOST OF OUR REGULARS HAVE MET AND HAVE BEEN SERVED BY THE SAME FACES FOR MANY YEARS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE ALSO THAT THEY SIMPLY CANCELLED OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE OUTDOOR PROGRAM BY 1159PM ON THE 16TH OF JULY AND IN THEIR CANCELLATION LETTER TO US DOT REVEALED THAT WE “MAY BE ABLE TO RE-APPLY AFTER THE WORK IS DONE” - THIS IS NOT REASSURING AT ALL. IT WOULD BE NICE IF BUSINESSES LIKE OURS HAVE PATNERS IN AND WITH OUR CITY AGENCIES & COMMUNITY BOARDS AT THE END OF THE DAY. I ALSO FIND IT EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING THAT THERE IS NO TIMELINE ( EVEN IF JUST A ‘GUESTIMATE’ ) ON HOW LONG THE WORK WILL TAKE… AND THEN NOT TO MENTION WHY THIS PROJECT COULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LATE FALL TO START?! I MIGHT NOT LIKE THE ANSWER TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, BUT I WOULD HAVE AT LEAST LIKED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK. SURELY TAKING OUR AGENCY AWAY BY IGNORING OUR VALUE, MUST BE CONSIDERED! I FIND IT FRUSTRATING THAT WE GET NO RESOURCE HELP IN HOW TO SAFELY DISMANTLE, REMOVE AND PAY TO STORE OUR SHEDS FROM DOT. I AM UPSET THAT SEEMINGLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LATE LAST YEAR, THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED WITHOUT OUR INPUT AND I FIND IT SAD THAT A CITY THAT CLAIMS CAMPASSION & EMPATHY FOR BUSINESSES WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO HIRE, STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR BILLS & NOW INFLATION ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE - GET NO SAY IN HOW TO ROLL OUT SUCH A LARGE PROJECT WITH SUCH LITTLE CONSIDERATION TO US WHO EMPLOY AND WHO’S PROPERTY TAXES PAY FOR SCHOOLS. THIS IS NOT THE NYC THAT I BUILT THIS ‘HOME’ AWAY FROM THE HOME OF MY BIRTH. SORT OF LIKE THEY WILL SHOW UP IF THEY GET GOOD PRESS, BUT COMPLETELY IGNORE YOU WHEN YOU NEED THEM TO HAVE YOUR BACK. THE CITY NOT COMMUNICATING WITH US, FEELS LIKE A GUT PUNCH TO BE HONEST. MY STAFF AND I BUILT THIS THING & IMPROVED IT OURSELVES OVER 3 YEARS, WE DID NOT HAVE MONEY TO DO ANY OF IT… BUT WE DID IT BECAUSE WE LOVE KAIA AND WE LOVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD & WE DID NOT WANT TO SEE HER CLOSE. KAIA IS ALSO ONE OF THOSE PLACES THAT CARES ABOUT OUR SHED, HOW IT LOOKS, HOW IT’S BUILT AND HOW IT HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE MASONITE DOORS I USED TO BUILD A STRUCTURE OUT OF DESPERATION 3 YEARS AGO WITH MY MOTHER. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAM IS STILL VERY POPULAR AND AN ABSOLUTE LIFELINE FOR MANY OF US WHO ARE JUST LATELY STARTING TO SEE SOMEWHAT OF A STABILIZING EFFECT AFTER THE HAVOC OF COVID & INFLATION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE OUTDOOR STRUCTURES IS NOT FOR EVERONE ANYMORE, AND SOMETHING THAT WAS EMBRACED DURING COVID HAS HAD MIXED REVIEWS FROM SOME OF OUR FELLOW NEW YORKERS SINCE. WE HOWEVER, HAVE RECEIVED PLENTY EMAIL ‘REMINDERS’ TO HAVE THE SHED REMOVED BY SUCH DATE AND TIME… YET THEY NEVER USED THE SYSTEMS THEY HAVE HAD IN PLACE SINCE COVID TO COMMUNICATE THEIR PLANS TO BEGIN WITH. WE GET EMAILS DAILY FROM THE OUTDOOR PROGRAM & NYC NIGHTLIFE ABOUT THE WEATHER - BUT NOT ONCE WERE WE APPROACED, EMAILED OR COMMUNICATED WITH, IN AN OFFICIAL FASHION… ABOUT SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT THAT WILL HAVE SUCH A MASSIVE IMPACT ON OUR BUSINESS DURING THE MIDDLE OF OUR BUSY SEASON AND IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. WE HAD NO OPPORTUNITY NOR WERE WE EVER ASKED OR APPROACHED TO PRESENT CREATIVE IDEAS AND/OR ANY INPUT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY BOARD AS TO HOW WE CAN EASE THE BURDEN ON OUR BUSINESSES SO SHORTLY AFTER COVID. THERE ARE A FEW HOLD OUTS WHO ARE REFUSING AS OF YET TO REMOVE THEIR OUTDOOR STRUCTURES ( MAYBE AS PROTEST ), BUT WE DID AS WE WERE TOLD. 3RD AVENUE, ONE OF THE LARGEST CORRIDORS IN MANHATTAN IS BECOMING A TWO CAR LANE ROAD. RESTAURANTS ON 3RD AVENUE BETWEEN 59TH AND 96TH STREET WERE ASKED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT TO REMOVE OUR SHEDS FOR THE PAINTING OF A BIKE LANE, FLOATING PARK LANE AND DEDICATED BUS LANE. YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT US WHEN WALKING BY - SO IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING….
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