East 86th Street Fruit Stand Seized by Sanitation

The fruit stand outside of the CVS at 305 East 86th Street has long been the spot to grab some bananas or strawberries on the way home from work, but just over two weeks ago its operation was briefly suspended by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY). According to Our Town, DSNY Police confiscated all of the cart’s produce on Saturday, October 19.

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Vincent Gragnani, the Press Secretary of the NYC Department of Sanitation, told Our Town that “Sanitation Police generally issues summonses for street vending violations,” and they would only confiscate “carts and material that had been abandoned.” He also said that all produce that was fit for consumption would have been donated to a local food pantry.

Workers at CVS told East Side Feed Monday morning that they weren’t aware that the seizure had occurred, but the person working at the stand confirmed that it did in fact take place. The worker at the cart was unable to offer additional details. The stand was running as usual.

It’s unclear whether the cart had been abandoned or for how long when the DSNY took possession of the goods. However, the department is tasked with enforcing street vending laws—a change that took effect in March 2023 and has been loudly protested by street vendors ever since.

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Previously, enforcement of those laws had been handled by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). The change was a part of Mayor Adams’ restructuring and consolidation of several departments’ responsibilities under the DSNY.

Interestingly, Proposal 2, which is on the ballot for the current election, addresses changing the city charter to align with this current arrangement. This proposal, as seen on the ballot, says “The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) would have increased authority to keep all city property clean, including parks and highway medians, and to hold street vendors accountable for following rules at those locations.”

For his part, Graganani has said of the DSNY that “Our enforcement work is rooted in the belief that all New Yorkers, across every neighborhood, in every borough, deserve clean, safe sidewalks.” New Yorkers can voice their thoughts on the measure by voting this Tuesday, November 5.

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