BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
PERMITS & LICENSES
August 28, 2017
Attendance:
P. Blake P R. Freeman P L. Pinn A E. Causil-Rodriguez E G. Kelly E M. Racioppo P G. Faeth A T. Miskel E J. Skaller A
P = present, E = excused, A = absent
Guests: L. Branch
*** MINUTES ***
• Reviewed with the applicants on the agenda if they needed their items to be heard before the next meeting of the liquor authority or the department of consumer affairs
• Leroy Branch explained the process of the meeting and how the information will be presented to the full board at their next meeting.
• Did not have enough committee members to have a quorum and could not make a recommendation or a motion
• Presentation and review of a new on-premises liquor license application submitted to the state Liquor Authority on behalf of SC Brooklyn LLC at 230 5th Avenue (between Carroll/President Streets) o William Chan- restaurant name Shaking Crab o Cajun style seafood o On premises liquor license- had 500 ft hearing and this is the last step for their approval o Notified community and included proof in their application o Will not have a sidewalk cafe license- taking on Dizzys on 5th- have a liquor license without any problems. They were operating for 10 years without any problems o Have multiple locations including in Boston-been in business in both Queens and in Manhattan- already had a restaurant in there
Applicant is not making any structural changes to the building and will not need a new certificate of occupancy- mostly cosmetic
Their outdoor space is within the buildings boundaries. Outdoor space needs to be limited to 10pm closing from Monday to Friday. No live music and no djsco. Will be recorded music inside . There is no backyard space.
Application will be edited to include the hours change to 10pm closing for the outdoor space Had no one from the community appear to speak about the application
Presentation and review of a new on-premises sidewalk café application submitted to the Department of Consumer Affairs on behalf of Sami and Susu Food Inc. at 79 5th Avenue (between Park Place/Prospect Place)
• Community was notified by sending out certified letters to everyone within Prospect Place and 6th Avenue and also on 5th Avenue going towards St. Marks Place and the Barclay Center. Has a sign on the window of the location
• Miriam restaurant- had been there for 12 years- neighborhood has changed over the course of the year -No music outside- only have a wine and beer license so will not be a party place -Have been good business in the neighborhood -Requesting 36 seats of 18 tables -Going up Prospect Place on the length of his business -Currently has 70 seats inside the restaurant -There are other places in the neighborhood but may fall outside of the Community Board 6 -Filled out the sidewalk cafe application with the Community Board -No one from the community has come to the meeting to speak about their opposition to the cafe -Has never had any contact with the Prospect Place block association
Presentation and review of a new on-premises liquor license application submitted to the State Liquor Authority on behalf of Bridies Bistro, LLC at 256 4th Avenue (between Carroll/President Streets).
Already has a restaurant and bar in Fort Greene under the Brooklyn Public House. Was called Henri’s Backyard- indoor garden area- does not know if they had any problems with the neighbors under that business Wants to be a family place with kids and their families Does things with the neighborhood schools Want to be a part of the community, hire people in the community - plan to run the place themselves and address any complaints that come in At their other location they are the late night food place and serve food until 2am Will close their front windows at 11pm Planning on having background music in the outdoor area- not live music
• Plan to close the outdoor space during week nights at midnight and keep the space until 2am on weekends. The Community Board usually requests 10pm closing for outdoor space and midnight during weekends Priority is to get into the space and prove themselves
• Could stop serving 11pm on weekdays and midnight stop serving and keep the outdoor space open until 1am
-Garden being 85% enclosed does not change the Boards views -Outdoor spaces are accepted at 10pm weekdays and midnight weekends -Possible a motion could be made to approve it with the condition that they close the outdoor space at 10pm weekdays and midnight on weekends -Only way they will get a recommendation for approval is that they agree to close the area
It was recommended that the applicant send a corrected application with the hours edited to comply with the Community Board’s hours.
Presentation and review of a new on-premises liquor license application submitted to the State Liquor Authority on behalf of Izzy’s BBQ at 113 Hamilton Avenue (between Columbia/Woodhull Streets)
• Opening a Kosher BBQ restaurant • No outdoor seating and background music only • Open from 12pm-midnight Sunday to Thursday and closed Friday and then 2am Thursday and Saturday • Ratio food to alcohol is 80% food and 20% alcohol • Well known in Crown Heights where he opened in 2014 • Printed out 75 flyers and spent 3-4 hours in the area sending out the flyers • There is not live music- they have to provide an edited application and taking out live music and will also change the closing date, French doors will be closed 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends • They do not know what windows they will have and do not have the windows chosen yet- will comply with the CB6 requirements of keeping the windows closed
• Are not applying for sidewalk cafe at this time because they are still under construction and are aware they have to return on a later date if they want to expand
• Notice sheet included Columbia Street even though he only wrote down Woodhull Street
Community concerns: Melissa #of seats? Maximum number of seats is 171. Tables 68 and bar is 50ft.
Who is their target market? Is friends with hometown BBQ and knows that they have people who come out because there is not a foot traffic area
Already have parking problems in the area, how will they accommodate these issues? Speeding cars coming down the street off of the expressway convenes Concerns about more traffic coming to the area Drug dealing, noise, motorcycle traffic and problems in the area
Concern about the land being contaminated. Would not be able to open and get the permits if there was problems with the area
Person who lives across the street from the site and did not receive any notification.
• Letter from jalopy owner near the area of the proposed site - Provided to the board.
• 4 liquor licenses on one block
• Concern about smoking meat- area maybe a brownfield site with gas and other chemicals spilling from the 1930s
• Have put in a FOIA request with the DEC
• Michael Smith- neighbor • Owns part of the building across the street where the restaurant is planned on being built • Want there to be a delay so that he can speak to his neighbors and get more information • Concerned about noise pollution with the amount of people inside the restaurant • Will disrupt the neighborhood while it’s being built • Does not understand how people will get there and where they will park once they are there • KAT- owns and resides half a block away from the location People double park on their block and people who are drinking on the block are then driving out of the area • Concerns about tenants • No one received notice
Columbia street neighbor • Concerns about the infrastructure and building done there because the water system is sensitive and there’s been problems with construction in the past • Have a 500ft concern because believe there are 3 other locations that have liquor licenses • Concerns about the size of the restaurant having so many seats • Community says there is nothing the applicant can say that would change their minds about this development • Conducted signature campaign and showed people the yelp reviews, and got 150 signatures against the area • Posted on the BOCOCA • • moms online board to get their views on this • Feels that this is much too big for their community • Area is congested and can be dangerous with the cars that come off the Belt Parkway and are speeding
Crown Heights is very different than where this development is going into and Crown Heights is much smaller. Consider the health issues for the area.
Applicant: • Does not have a liquor license at his current restaurant because it is 600 feet and it is not large enough for a bar • Plans to follow by the book • Most of their clientele are religious but plan to be open to everyone • Wants to have an environmental review- should help the area by developing it • Believes it is a substantial improvement to what is in the spot that is presently there • Legally have to put in an air filter unit for their smoker
Pauline Blake recommended that the application be withdrawn and let there be more community input.
Site has not yet been approved for the environmental development.
Would open Saturday nights after sundown during the summer and during the winter will be closed earlier in Fridays and all of Saturday.
Attorney wanted them to get the permit for the full week because if they ended up selling the license in the future did not want the license to be encumbered by the restriction.
There being no further business to come before the Committee. The meeting was adjourned.