Upper East Side School’s Controversial Street Closure Plan Gets Green Light — But on a Reduced Schedule

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When East Side Feed first reported in December that the Birch Wathen Lenox School was seeking to close part of East 77th Street as part of the city’s Open Streets program, the proposal faced steep opposition from residents and businesses. At the time, the plan called for shutting the block between Second and Third avenues Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Now, after months of revisions and negotiations, the $62,500-per-year private K–12 school has received unanimous approval from Community Board 8 for a scaled-back version: the street will close Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting in September.

The change represents a 70% reduction from the original request, according to Head of School Bill Kuhn, who told Pix 11 that the new schedule is “a direct result of feedback from our neighbors.” He said the school went door-to-door to visit businesses, sent letters to residents, posted signs, and presented the plan at public meetings.

Concerns remain among some business owners on the block. “It’s a peak time for us, and it’s really going to be a major impediment to us doing business,” laundromat owner Todd Layne told the New York Post. Toby Chancey, of Toby Clarity Lighting, told the publication he could lose about 10% of his business because many of his customers drive to his store.

Emergency access is another sticking point. “This is an ambulance avenue,” East 77th Block Association head Linda Cornelius told the Post, referring to the road’s proximity to Lenox Hill Hospital. But Northwell Health, which operates the hospital, told both Pix 11 and the Post it had no objection, noting ambulance teams can adapt to redirections.

Not everyone is opposed. “As a mom, I like it,” Upper East Side resident Shana Zimmer told Pix 11. “It gives my kids a place to play that’s safe.”

The DOT says school staff will manage barricades and allow high-priority vehicles through during closures. Community Board 8 Chair Valerie S. Mason told Pix 11 the approval lasts one year and will be reviewed before renewal.

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