A Long Island City resident has started an online petition calling on Community Board 2 to allow restaurants and bars along Vernon Blvd to use their backyard space.
The petition is in response to the Community Board 2’s almost uniform denial of Vernon Blvd restaurants from using their backyard space. The board, which tries to represent the wishes of the community, is able to keep the backyards closed by making it a requirement in order for them to get their liquor license.
Restaurants such as Alobar, Blend, Lounge 47, Corner Bistro and L’inizio are just a few that have been told that in order to get their liquor license they must keep their yards closed.
Renee Katsaitis, who put the petition together, said she is fed up hearing from business owners that they are not permitted to open their backyard space. She and her friends like going to the bars and restaurants and want to sit outside and enjoy a drink and some food.
“It angers me that the neighborhood is being held hostage by one person or one group,” Katsaitis said. “I am organizing this so people are heard,” she said. “I also want to make sure that people show up at the meetings and fight back.”
And the reason why they won't let these establishments open up their yards is because they abut residential yards and houses. No one wants to hear laughing, yelling, music, etc. and no one wants to smell smoke all day and night.
8 comments:
Renee Katsaitis...
her compadres have made a mess of Astoria - take a look at Stand Steakhouse - public enemy #1 in the community with noise and the fine odor of grilled meat 24/7 and how all the hipsters just dismiss the misery its caused.
Plenty of restaurants don't allow smoking in outdoor seating areas, as there are too many legal restrictions:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/smoke/tc7.pdf
"c. Smoking is prohibited in the following outdoor areas of public places, except as otherwise restricted in accordance with the provisions below:
1. Outdoor dining areas of restaurants with no roof or other ceiling enclosure; provided, however, that smoking may be permitted in a contiguous outdoor area designated for smoking so long as such area: (i) constitutes no more than twenty-five percent of the outdoor seating capacity of such restaurant; (ii) is at least three feet away from the outdoor area of such restaurant not designated for smoking; and (iii) is clearly designated with written signage as a smoking area."
Screw people who want to sit outside. Let them go sit in their own backyards.
go to the hamptons if you want to eat outside and spend exorbitant amounts of money for a pulled pork sandwich
get out of my borough you parasites
You have no idea what you are talking about. Some of the places asking for outdoor seating (and getting denied) are only asking for daytime, closing the doors at 6:00. One of them is a bakery that wants to do a decent lunch crowd. I bet none of you live in Hunters Point that are commenting. And J- what makes this your borough? Its as much mine as it is yours. Queens is HUGE, and you claim to own all of it? Do you know anything about Hunters Point, do you visit the businesses there?
Why does a bakery need outdoor seating? What else does it sell besides bread and pastry?
Residents of vernon Blvd that oppose the outdoor seating because of the noise are the residence that it directly affects.
Those opposing the outdoor space come to the CB2 meeting tonight and let your voice be heard!
http://www.cb2queens.org/
If you just want to eat and drink outside go to the park!
You can eat, drink and go home the people these backyard spaces affect have to listen to the noise all the time!
Most people signing the petition don't even live in this area.
If you oppose the use of rear back yards for open dinning and drinking in LIC, please sign the "Not In My Backyard - A Quality of Life Issue"
and pass it along to all your LIC friend and neighbors .
Will you join me in supporting this issue?
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/584/148/914/not-in-my-backyard-a-quality-of-life-issue/
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