Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2006

BY LETICIA THEODORE

Some community groups and residents say the crowds that frequent New York City’s clubs, bars and restaurants are getting noisier and rowdier as the industry grows. They’ve convinced some lawmakers the answer to fixing the problem, which they say infringes on their quality of life, is to stop issuing so many liquor licenses. Lawmakers responded with a new bill, A.10191, that would cut down, in a big way, the number of liquor licenses issued throughout New York State.

Bar, nightclub and restaurant owners say they are being penalized for the actions of a few irresponsible owners, and they add, neighborhood gentrification has led to residences popping up in areas zoned for commercial and manufacturing uses. Added to that, they say, the smoking ban instituted three years ago has pushed people out to the streets and the lack of police on the street means there’s no one to keep the peace (in this case they are lobbying for a law that would allow owners establishments to pay for police officers to walk the beat around these locations during late night hours).

Under the existing law new bars, clubs and restaurants are banned from obtaining a liquor license if they are located within 500 feet of three or more current license holders. But, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has the power to make exceptions. The SLA has largely granted these exceptions saying the jobs created by the establishments are “in the public interest.”

When local residents and community boards went above the SLA to lawmakers New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver penned the bill, A.10191 that would strip the SLA of the right to override the 500 ft. rule. The amendment, which would apply to establishments that received their licenses after Nov. 1, 1993, would also prevent the transfer new licenses to locations other than the location to which it was issued.

Representatives of the restaurant and nightlife industry say the law will slowly kill the industry and city economy by smothering job growth and tax revenues brought in by these establishments. According to the New York State Labor Department about 446,200 people are employed by the food service and drinking places and they logged the most growth of any business category with 2,500 new jobs in March alone. Further, it is estimated the restaurant industry alone will bring in $25 billion in 2006.

 Meanwhile, newly appointed SLA Chairman Daniel Boyle testified at a public hearing that Governor Pataki directed him to create a Rapid Enforcement Unit  that would to expedite investigations and if necessary disciplinary actions against establishments that pose a “threat to public health, safety and welfare.”