Monday, May 7, 2012

BrooklynSpeaks: Should arena crowds really be able to drink all night?

From our friends at BrooklynSpeaks:

In Chicago, Wrigley Field is allowed to host only 30 evening events a year. Liquor sales must end no later than 9:30PM. And any changes to that policy have to be approved by the Chicago City Council.

You’d think that the people of Brooklyn deserve no less respect.

Not according to Barclays Center, which has applied for a license that would allow it to keep serving alcohol up to the 4AM State limit in an 18,000-seat arena. Sure, the NBA has a policy that requires liquor sales to end after the third quarter. But basketball only accounts for 40 of the expected 220 events to be held at the arena each year. And Barclays’ application isn’t even limited to serving drinks at arena events. (Arena plans include four club/lounge areas.)

We all know that the history of Atlantic Yards has been one blanket approval by government after another, with little oversight afterward. But isn’t this getting ridiculous?

Click here
to tell the New York State Liquor Authority and Governor Cuomo that Barlcays’ liquor license must be appropriate for the residential neighborhoods in which it is situated, and through which patrons will travel on their way home. Require drink sales to end after half time at a NBA game, 45 minutes before the end of an event, or 10PM, whichever comes first. And only permit alcohol to be sold during ticketed arena events.


Sign the petition now!


See the original post at http://www.brooklynspeaks.net/node/58


We'd add that in addition to signing the petition, another concrete action you can take is to attend the CB6 General Board Meeting at 6:30pm on Wednesday May 9th at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street, Court Room / Brooklyn, NY 11201). The Atlantic Yards liquor license is on the agenda (see last item in Section F of the agenda here.) Though there will not be an opportunity for public comment during the Atlantic Yards discussion itself, our community presence itself is a strong, important message. The meeting does also conclude with a general public comment period which will provide an excellent opportunity for the community to speak up about the continued over-development and out-of-scale/out-of-character development going on in Prospect Heights and Park Slope. This is a chance for you to have input on the future of your community here in Brooklyn - a future outsiders from Cleveland (Forest City), Chicago (Levy Premium Foodservice), Atlanta (Hooters) and beyond would prefer to choose for you without your input.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Media Coverage of Hooters Plans to Enter North Flatbush

A couple articles from the last couple days about Hooters' efforts to secure a foothold in Park Slope or Prospect Heights:
Hooters is not the type of economic development Prospect Heights and Park Slope need. We will fight Hooters vigorously on all available fronts. Our neighborhoods - many blocks of which have been land marked as part of either the Prospect Heights or Park Slope historical districts - have experienced a tremendous resurgence in the last decades through organic growth built on and by the diversity of residents and businesses that call this area home. We have no need for outsiders like Hooters who literally want to "belly up to the bar" only now to reap economic benefits from a community that does not share their values.

Last Week's Press Coverage of CB6 Meeting Re Kemistry

A wrap up of last week's coverage of the CB6 sub-committee recommendation for disapproval of the Kemistry liquor license. This fight has only just begun and we know Prospect Place Neighbors will continue to work vigorously to protect their block:

Monday, April 23, 2012

From Prospect Place Neighbors: PPN's Letter to Interested Parties

(From Prospect Place Neighbors - http://prospectplaceneighbors.blogspot.com/2012/04/our-press-kit-for-tonights-cb6-meeting.html)

TO: Interested Parties, Media Outlets, and Press Contacts
FROM: Prospect Place Neighbors (prospectplaceneighbors.org)
RE: Liquor license sought by Kemistry LLC
DATE: April 23, 2012

SUBJECT: Prospect Place Neighbors Press Points for CB6 Meeting about Kemistry lounge

Please be aware that the next CB6 meeting will be held Monday April 23rd at 6:30 PM at Prospect Park YMCA (357 9th Street, 7th floor).Along with fellow neighborhood residents, Prospect Place Neighbors will be attending this meeting to discuss the liquor license sought by Kemistry LLC and represent the interests of the residents on and near the block bounded by Prospect Place, 6th Avenue, St. Marks Avenue, and Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope.

Headlines:
  • Kemistry Lounge would be the largest nightclub in central Brooklyn with a capacity of 225 people on two floors with live performances, DJs, a full bar, and dancing.
  • Kemistry Lounge would be the first establishment doing hostess-served hard alcohol bottle service in Park Slope and Prospect Heights, and only the second in all of Brooklyn.
    • According to City Council member Melinda Katz: bottle service rastically increases patrons' incentive to drink intemperately and promotes dangerous levels of drunkenness' and facilitates 'service to minors.'
  • Kemistry Lounge plans exit and large windows onto a quiet residential block of Prospect Place.
    • Despite a commitment at the previous CB6 meeting to “brick up” the back entrance to Prospect Place to address resident concerns, Kemistry has now rescinded on this commitment.
  • The proposed night club is within 500 feet of 8 establishments with full liquor licenses (http://lamp.sla.ny.gov/nysla/index.htm), is on a block with 6 storefronts of preschool facilities (www.eladiaskids.com and www.kinderstuffdaycare.com) and is completely out of scale with a residential neighborhood.
  • Though we believed – and continue to believe – that Kemistry is simply not site appropriate, we honored the request by the CB6 to negotiate in good faith with Kemistry, facilitated by the North Flatbush BID, to seek a set of stipulations that could address the community’s most pressing concerns. After a frustrating experience attempting to negotiate reasonable terms including hours, bottle service and bricking up the rear window, our conviction remains that Kemistry is an incompatible business for the proposed location that refuses to negotiate with the community in good faith. We ask that Community Board 6 reject the Kemistry Lounge liquor license application.
More information about Prospect Place Neighbors can be found at:
Our email address is prospectplaceneighbors@gmail.com

Additionally, we have set up a web site - North Flatbush Neighbors (northflatbushneighbors.org), in order to organize and mobilize both our block as well as the residents of surrounding blocks in Prospect Heights and Park Slope that are concerned with out-of-scale and out-of-context new business development in our neighborhood. More information can be found at:


Our full press kit for tonight's CB6 meeting is available as a Google Doc here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bx1KBc1ZE3oqNVlHUTBFTDB0SWM

From Prospect Place Neighbors: Press Kit for CB6 Meeting

The Prospect Place Neighbors press kit for tonight's CB6 meeting is available as a Google Doc here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bx1KBc1ZE3oqNVlHUTBFTDB0SWM

Sunday, April 22, 2012

A couple social media outlets associated with North Flatbush Neighbors:

A Letter to the North Flatbush Business Improvement District and to Community Board 6

NFBID: Executive Director: Sharon Davidson; Class A, Property Owners: Regina
Cahill (President), Mathew Pintchik, Michael Pintchik, Henry Weinstein, Lina Fang,
Chris King; Class B, Commercial Tenants: Alison Houtte (Hooti Couture), Diane
Allison (Christian Science Reading Room), Greg Yerman (Burrito Bar and Kitchen),
Jack Pytlik (Ocean’s 8). All local businesses

Brooklyn Community Board Six: Chairperson: David Kummer; District Manager:
Craig Hammerman; all Board Members

Regarding the proposed "Kemistry Lounge" at 260 Flatbush Avenue

We urge your organizations to do everything in your power to fairly address community
concerns regarding the impact of potential late night establishments (such as the proposed
Kemistry Lounge) along North Flatbush Avenue, on the quality of life for residents of the
surrounding blocks of Park Slope and Prospect Heights. Although we are supportive of
continued development of North Flatbush Avenue, we believe such development must be
done with regard for the extremely close proximity of quiet, almost entirely residential
blocks. In particular, we oppose the practice of hostess served hard liquor bottle
service, which Kemistry Lounge proposes to offer, as a form of extreme nightlife not
suited to a primarily residential area (and in this case, sandwiched between two private
residences). We recognize that the decisions made regarding the operation of Kemistry
will likely set the tone of future development, and thus consider this case to have
significant implications for the broader area.

In your deliberations, and in your respective roles in this matter and certainly many
similar instances to come, please make every effort to seriously consider and address
community concerns, and to maintain an open and respectful dialogue with community
representatives. You organizations’ handling of this case is of utmost importance to us
and we will follow any decisions closely.

Sincerely,
Concerned Residents of zip code 11217