Martin Collins, community liaison to Assembly Member Adriano Espailla, writes that the Manhattan Borough President’s Office is now accepting applications for Community Board 12 appointments. The application is due by January 15, 2010. You can call (212) 669-8300 with questions or visit the Manhattan Borough President's page for a full run down on serving on a community board or download the PDF version of the application.
If you are still undecided in who to vote for as New York City's mayor for the next four years, tonight is your last chance to watch Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller Bill Thompson debate the differences in their policies. The debate will air at 7 p.m. tonight on WABC TV, 1010 WINS radio and 7online.com. If you log on now, you can submit a question for the debate as well.
City Council Member Robert Jackson and First Lady Michelle Obama in Reuters photo on Day Life.
This is a good opportunity for you to voice your support and concerns to the man who is likely to continue working as your City Council member. The following message is from Mark Levine, Democratic District Leader:
I hope you can join us this Thursday evening, as we toast Councilmember Robert Jackson and enjoy the second game of the World Series. Here are the details
The owners of Vino Verso said they hope to open their wine bar within two weeks.
From Assembly Member Denny Farrell's Office comes news of the Assembly Member's concerns about two new Inwood liquor license applications in addition to Vida Mexicana. The owner's of Vino Verso (pictured above) told me that they are hoping to open their doors within two weeks. Reports are that the wine bar next door to Il Sole is to open within the next two months. The owners were not available for comment.
HERMAN D. FARRELL, JR
Assemblymember 71st District2541-55 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.
New York, NY 10039
TEL (212) 568-2828
FAX (212) 928-4177
Update on the Dyckman Street Bar Situation
As the New York State Liquor Authority reviews an application by Vida Mexicana for a liquor license at 223 Dyckman Street, my staff and I have been paying closer attention to new applications by bars and restaurants hoping to do business in this neighborhood. So far, we have unearthed two wine bar applications which have received little attention. One of these is at 7 Henshaw Street, on the far side of the block from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 1815 Riverside Drive. The other is next door to Il Sol Restaurant, at 231 Dyckman Street.
It has come to my attention that there may be problems with the liquor license application filed by Il Sol in 2005, and I will be watching closely as their application is reviewed. As any new details come to light, I will post them here. Below, you will find a Freedom of Information Law request I sent to the SLA earlier today.
October 1, 2009
Deputy Commissioner Kerri O'Brien
NYS Liquor Authority
80 South Swan Street
Albany, NY 12210-8002
Dear Ms. O'Brien,
I am writing to follow up on our telephone conversation of earlier today. Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law, I am formally requesting a copy of the New York State Liquor Authority's file on Sol Restaurant Inc. doing business as Il Sol Restaurant at 233 Dyckman Street, New York, NY.
This office seeks to review the documents submitted by the proprietors prior to SLA granting Sol Restaurant Inc. a liquor license for 229-233 Dyckman Street in February 2005, including but not limited to a lease and certificate of occupancy for the premises.
Your prompt attention to this matter is appreciated.
Thank you,
Herman D. Farrell, Jr.
Turn out was already low (while apathy was high?) during last weeks primary election, today's run off will probably prove to be worse. Get out and show that you care by voting for the next Democratic City Comptroller candidate and Public Advocate. The candidates running were the top two candidates in each primary day race. None garnered the necessary 40 percent of the vote necessary to be named the party's candidate.
John Liu (38 percent) and David Yassky (30 percent) are on the ballot for City Comptroller.
Bill de Blasio (33 percent) and Mark Green (31) are on the ballot for Public Advocate.
So get out there and have your voice heard. You certainly paid for it.
Have you voted yet? Still don't know who is running or who to vote for? You can find more information through the Campaign Finance Board's guide and information listed here or you can read my wrap up of local candidates here.
Other resources include The Manhattan Times or The Gotham Gazette last minute voter's guide. And if you don't know where to vote, you can look up your polling site.
It doesn't matter how you make your decision, it just matters that you vote.
Primary election day is just around the corner on Tuesday, September 15. In case you still don't know who to vote for, let alone who is running, several publications, articles and sites can help guide your decision. To begin with, by now you should have received the 2009 Primary Voting Guide (pictured above). This bilingual guide (one is written in English, the other in Spanish features technical information about how, where and when to vote along with short biographies submitted by each candidate.
In addition, for Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill residents, the Manhattan Times published a comprehensive article on the candidates for the 7th and 10th City Council Districts in this week's paper and features a collection of its election-related articles dating back through the summer.
And although last night's televised debate (MNN, channel 34) for District 10 had a very small turnout, only Richard Realmuto and Cleofis Sarete participated, you can view the debate in two parts here and here. (Thanks to my favorite Night Watchman for recording and posting the debate.)
View of Upper Manhattan via Webshots Outdoors.
The Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan meets on Monday to update members and residents of the area about their candidates for district attorney, comptroller, public advocate and candidates for the 10th District seat (previously held by Miguel Martinez)in the City Council will also speak in advance of the group's endorsement vote. Attendees are invited to ask candidates about issues of concern regarding neighborhood.
Monday, Aug 24
7:00 p.m.
Holyrood Church, 179th St. just east of Ft. Washington Avenue (Take A train to 175th St., 1 train to 181st St., or M4, M5, or M100 buses to 179th)
Photo by intrepid reporter Jessica.
This Tuesday, the State Liquor Authority will meet to review the Vida Group's (owners of Mamajuana Café, El Sole, and Maja Sushi) petition to suspend the "500-foot-rule," which prohibits liquor licenses to be issued to restaurants/bars/lounges within 500 feet of one another, for its new restaurant Papacito.
The owners have repeatedly stated that their restaurant is not to blame for the noise, and that any issues that arise from added traffic to the area due to restaurant attractions, should be handled by the police and New York City authorities.
“On Sunday I have 600 people coming in and out, I can’t stop everyone from enjoying their lives as they want to,” Mamajuana restaurant owner was quoted as saying in a Manhattan Times article this June.
The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. at the SLA offices at 317 Lenox Avenue, at 126th Street.
The DINaction group, whose mission is to limit the amount of noise on Dyckman Street and the surrounding area, something they attribute in part to the chain of restauratns operated on that stretch, offers the following advice to those planning to testify against the petition before the SLA.• Be polite but firm. Politicians and public servants are burned out by all the static they have been getting lately from emotionally overwrought, illogical rants at town meetings. But they recognize the threat to their vested interests posed by educated, articulate, motivated activists in the community. Use language that shows you will not give up, but keep it civil: for example, “I would like to express my serious concern about the Vida Group's upcoming application for what would be a fourth full liquor license for a restaurant in one, 500-foot stretch of Dyckman Street. As you know, such a license is an extraordinary request, and should only be granted if there is not significant community opposition. I strongly oppose the granting of this license.”
• Hit on the salient talking points:
1) Noise. The Vida Group promotes café seating for each of its establishments and then opens the doors to the front doors of their establishments, blasting music all over the community until into the wee hours of the morning. For the last month, they have cut back on this, likely in a short-range attempt to quell local outrage so that the present liquor license may pass. But we are certain that the doors will be flung open again the day after the new license is granted.
2) Traffic snarls. Double-parking in front of the establishments currently holding full liquor licenses on the western end of Dyckman street has been a persistent problem. Such congestion only became a problem with the introduction of the present saturation of restaurants with full liquor licenses. The Vida Group claims it has no control over the matter. This is an argument against the super-saturation of the area with full liquor licenses: if the problem is beyond control already, it can only be exacerbated by the addition of a new licensed establishment. At a recent CB 12 meeting, the Vida Group tried to make the claim that they were working with a local gas station to ease congestion until it was pointed out to them that the gas station is operating its parking operations without a license and blatantly illegally.
Dyckman Street is a major artery used by both the local fire-house and ambulances in the area. The fact that it is so often blocked by customers at the establishments that presently hold liquor licenses in the area already presents a serious hazard. Granting another license will strongly exacerbate the problem.
3) Poor oversight by Vida Group of customers with alcoholic drinks. Members of the community frequently observe patrons of the present Dyckman Street establishments wandering up and down the Dyckman street with drinks in hand. This is a serious quality of life issue in an area already heavy laden with narcotics and violations of open containers laws.
4) Patrons who spill out into the area parks after closing hours. Members of the community are awakened almost every summer night around 4 am, when the party from Dyckman Street moves around the corner to Inwood Hill Park on Payson Avenue. The establishments serving alcohol on Dyckman will likely claim that these are not their patrons, but the proximity of the after-hours party to their establishments and the fact that these parties spring up just after their closing times, suggests otherwise.
5) Negative effect on variety of businesses. The ease with with establishments are getting full liquor licenses is depriving local residents of a diversity of businesses in the area. Because of the enormous profits enjoyed by establishments with full liquor licenses, local commercial realtors are now doubling and even, in some cases, tripling rents, driving out all businesses that lack a full liquor license. The result is that, in a very short period, this strip of Dyckman Street has lost a dry cleaner, a deli, and a copy shop, all of which provided useful services, which now are harder to reach. Our local butcher is also considering closing shop because of the hyper-inflation spurred by the ease with which establishments get liquor licenses in our area.
5) Disapproval by Community Board 12. Community Board 12 has opposed this application on two occasions. CB 12 asked the Vida Group to hold off on their application until the 34th precinct could weigh in on the issue. It has chosen, instead, to go full steam ahead, a direct slap in the fact to CB 12 and to the community.
6) No positive impact on narcotics. The Vida Group has claimed that their development of the area has made a positive change. But local residents can easily observe a flourishing narcotics industry along Dyckman Street, a problem that has not noticeably improved since the area has been developed. In fact, open use of narcotics on Dyckman Street seems to have increased, not decreased.
7) Citizen advocacy. We urge the SLA to offer a counter-weight to the enormous clout that big businesses exert on this process and to speak on behalf of local residents like us, who struggle to make their voices heard.
• If the Vida Group makes unsupportable, illogical, and emotional appeals – as they always have in the past – please offer a rebuttal.
Can't make it to the meeting? You can send a letter voicing your opinion and concerns. I sugegst CCing your local City Council Member (Jackson and Martinez's former office), State Assembly Member and Senator as well.
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES FOR MAILING:
Any person in opposition to this application wishes to submit written testimony or other evidence in lieu of (or in addition to) oral testimony, that person may do so by delivering the written testimony or other material to the State Liquor Authority no later than 3:00 p.m. on 8/25/2009.
Any material received after that date will not be considered.
A copy of any material sent to the State liquor Authority should be directed to:
HEARING BUREAU-4th FLOOR. 317 LENOX AVENUE, New York, New York 10027
and must also be delivered to the applicant or it's representative on or before 3:00 p.m. on 8/25/2009 at the following address,
YAMIL MARTINEZ 530 W. 136th STREET, APT 22, New York, NY 10031
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