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Proposed Ban on Liquor Licenses
Aimed at Noisy Clubs May Harm New York City Restaurants
By Kelly Snowden
Dining in New York’s historic Lower East Side has slowly
morphed over the last decade from pushcarts and dives to posh
eateries and wine bars. This boon has also brought bars and
night clubs that have become a bane for area residents in
the form of increased noise from taxis and rowdy revelers.
This isn’t just confined to the Lower East Side but
is present in neighborhoods all over the city. While the majority
of the problem stems from late-night clubs, the state of New
York doesn’t seem to distinguish between them and restaurant
or bars when granting liquor licenses.
The restaurant European Union recently learned this the hard
way, having been denied a liquor license by the State Liquor
Authority even though it’s demonstrably a food-driven
establishment. Under current New York law, any new establishment,
be it bar, restaurant or club, is banned from obtaining a
liquor license if its location is within 500 feet of three
or more current license-holders. This ban hardly comes into
play in most places around the state. But in the crowded city
almost any new establishment has to go through a series of
hearings to override the ban and get its license, something
that used to be a relatively painless process. The State Liquor
Authority almost always ruled in favor of new establishments
in the past, stating that the jobs created made the exception
“in the public interest.” Local residents and
their community boards have had new success in pressuring
the authority in recent months to reject more applications,
though, and the European Union denial was likely a result
of that.
Local residents are hoping to take the matter beyond the
control of the liquor authority. Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver, who represents the Lower East Side, recently introduced
legislation into the state assembly that would ban any exceptions
to the 500-feet rule. If passed, the bill would prohibit future
clubs, along with restaurants, from obtaining liquor licenses
under any circumstances if the rule applies. Local restaurateurs
argue that exceptions should be made and that liquor licenses
should be portioned out differently for clubs, bars, hotels
and restaurants.
A hearing is being held to gather testimony from local residents
on the proposed legislation and on alternative ways of solving
the problem of noise for area residents. It will take place
on May 5, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. The location is the Assembly
Hearing Room, 250 Broadway, New York City. To learn more about
the hearing and register to testify, go to the following link:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Econ/20060421/
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