A Grousing in Chelsea: Dueling Block Associations Battle for Members

It is not exactly the Jets and the Sharks, but there is quite a battle going on between rival Chelsea block associations.

In one corner is the veteran: Pamela Wolff. Her Chelsea West 220 Block Association was founded in 1975, claims 100 members, and covers the territory from 19th Street to 22nd Street from 7th to 8th Avenue.

In the other corner, is the newcomer: Molly Harris. The 200 West 22nd Street Block Association, a fledgling begun this year with approximately 30 members and counting, focuses strictly on its eponymous block. The question stands whether these two battling Block Associations can peacefully coexist, or if it’s going to be the new West Side Story, albeit quite a few south blocks of the original fictional play and movie that was set around the area that eventually became Lincoln Center.

The issue that sparked Harris to initiate a new block association was the proposal to install barriers at the onset of 22nd Street at 8th Avenue, ostensibly making it a park-esque block, deterring through traffic. The initiative began during Covid, purportedly to offer a less-trafficked community oasis where pedestrians and neighbors were prioritized over cross-town vehicular traffic. During the pandemic, it was tolerated, if not enjoyed, by most, but as the situation evolved, some found the closure problematic for myriad reasons.

On one hand, residents appreciate the added tranquility the barriers had afforded, with fewer speeding cars whizzing through, or egregiously honking their horn at temporarily double-parked cars. Mario Nico, owner of an eponymous salon, was basically the gate monitor simply due to his proximity to them. He has noticed a distinct and appreciated reduction in noise–including honking and revving engines barreling through–and no decrease in business as far as he, and the nearby wash-and-fold, is concerned. In fact, he would prefer the block remain protected. The only other business is the parking garage, which also reported no decrease in activity during the blocked street time after rebounding from an expected pandemic lull.

On the other hand, however, was the inconvenience for car owners having to get out of their cars to move the barriers to gain access, and then again to replace them. This impediment would seem even more deleterious to First Responders, but instead seems to have freed up blockages that occured when it was a full traffic venue and limiting normal traffic actually might be expediting access for emergency vehicles who don’t have to navigate around traffic obstacles. Critics of the restricted street also pointed to concerns about leaving children or animals alone in a vehicle while moving and replacing the pylons.

While there is no technical reason 22nd Street should be returned to a closed-to-through traffic boulevard, the city is trying to expand protected blocks such as this throughout the boroughs. Any block was eligible to be considered for such an Open Street program as part of De Blasio’s Vision Zero program. Applications for this were being accepted up until approximately one year ago.

But the issue of the barricades themselves, in fact, is no longer a consideration, according to the Department of Transportation and the Community Board. While the D.O.T. did not get back to myriad requests for more information on the block’s status, Councilman Eric Bottcher claims that to the best of his knowledge, there is no longer any proposal to impede the 8th Avenue entrance with gates, but instead are considering measures to slow traffic and encourage vehicles to use 23d Street as the main thoroughfare instead of residential blocks.

Both vying associations aspire to raise community awareness and participation for a community in all senses of the word, rather than just people that happen to live near one another. Harris also has other initiatives on her agenda, if allowed to take over the territory, or coexist as reigning Block Associations. She is most enthusiastic about unifying the block’s residents, coordinating stoop sales or block parties, and basically providing the community with a proactive voice on local issues as they arise, in hopes of creating more cohesive, neighborly bonds. That is not to dismiss the profound work that Wolff has done, especially in regards to securing funding for the maintenance and deep root fertilzation of neighborhood trees, a vital amenity in any neighborhood. But currently, her focus is on enlisting more members, especially since her jurisdiction covers so much territory. Having existed for so long, membership attrition, of those who have moved or otherwise passed on, left her with a less robust following.

The question remains as to why these two associations cannot co-exist, or the possibility of Wolff ceding the singular block in question. Wolff claims her board members rejected this option despite her willingness to consider it. But if her initiative to gain more members is not successful, perhaps a different consensus can be achieved. Smaller, block-focused associations would seem more effective at attending to hyper-local issues, and more manageable.

Fundamentally, both groups seem to want the same thing: a more neighborly neighborhood. A Zoom meeting was held on March 28th with the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, including Councilman Bottcher and a representatives from Senator Brad Hoylman–Sigal’s office.

Harris’ proposal for a new block association was one of the final issues to be addressed, after over an hour of other business, including all aspects of bicycle safety, construction updates and the possibility of accepting members of the public into CCBA on a provisonary arrangement. The proposal to accept or reject Harris’ new block association was entirely unresolved at its end, with as many opinions as members, including those who wanted to vote on it á la momente during the Zoom. Instead, in accordance with protocols, it will be voted on in April to determine whether the newcomer will be allowed into the CCBA. If not, Harris will proceed to develop her block association as a freestanding resource for the community, as she maintains her goal is to unite residents, whether she receives funding or not. If she is accepted, however,, it would seem up to Wolff’s posse whether they cooperatively co-exist or she alters her territory to include only the three blocks from 19th to 21st Streets.