The Drying of NYC: The Community Board Backlash
Thursday, March 13, 2008

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Today the New York Sun takes the news of Bouley's liquor license woes as an opportunity to launch into a full fledged report on community boards and their control over the New York dining scene. And as any careful follower of restaurant openings knows, it's been getting harder and harder to get liquor license approval from the community, especially downtown, as evidenced by Veselka (denied), Chris Eddy's Japanese restaurant at 19 Kenmare (eventually passed with excessive stipulations), and of course Bouley's Brushstrokes. The Sun reports:

"The decision underscores mounting concerns among advocates and lawyers for the nightlife and restaurant industries that some community boards in Manhattan are wielding an excessive amount of influence over the State Liquor Authority's decision-making regarding liquor licenses, an issue they say is stymieing economic development."

"...without the support of certain Manhattan community boards, they advise their clients to dismiss any plans of opening up bars or lounges. They tell clients who want to start restaurants that would serve cocktails to beware of exposing themselves financially. 'Some community boards just don't want new places,' a liquor lawyer, Terrence Flynn, said. 'There has been a real chilling effect.'

For their part the community boards argue that a) they have more power because the SLA is now listening to them for the first time in years and b) some neighborhoods are reaching a saturation point. Brad Hoylman, chair of Community Board 2 (West Village, Greenwich Village, Soho, Nolita) told us this week:

"I think we're scrutinizing the applications, our relationship with the SLA has improved, and they're listening to the community more closely. More debate is a good thing but a lot of it has to do with saturation, and if a particular neighborhood has too many bars [3] within 500 feet, it falls under toe 500 foot rule. This is a neighborhood that is under increased pressure for new bars and restaurants."

The Sun also notes that the number of licenses shot down over the years has decreased, but it may have less to do with the leniency of the boards and more due to the fact that "fewer [restaurateurs] are attempting to obtain licenses due the cumbersome and risky process." · Restaurateur's Difficulties Point to Community Boards Trend [NYS] · Drying of NYC [~E~]



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