NYC City Planning Department and their urbanish declaration of independence from communities

 

 Cityland

On October 17, 2022, the Department of City Planning will host an information session regarding the proposed “City of Yes” zoning text amendments. The “City of Yes” amendments, announced in June, aim to resolve obstacles that prevent the creation of more housing, remove certain zoning limitations to encourage economic growth, and support sustainability.

Earlier this summer, CityLand published a series of articles regarding the three proposed text amendments. While the Department of City Planning has yet to release a draft of the text of the amendment, the agency has updated its website recently with some more information.

The Zoning for Zero Carbon amendment would amend zoning regulations that place restrictions on the placement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and limits on the amount of rooftop that can be used for solar panels, and increases energy efficiency requirements. For more information from the City’s webpage, click here.

The Zoning for Economic Opportunity amendment will remove restrictions and limitations on what types of business are allowed in commercial districts; removing restrictions on dancing in bars and restaurants in line with the City’s 2017 repeal of the Cabaret Law; support for the reuse of existing buildings for other purposes; and provide more flexibility for small-scale production spaces among other things. For more information from the City’s webpage, click here.

The Zoning for Housing Opportunity amendment will address the City’s housing shortage. The proposed amendment will increase opportunities to use different housing models, including two-family houses, accessory dwelling units, small apartment buildings, and shared housing models. The amendment will also expand opportunities to build affordable and supportive housing and reduce certain parking requirements. The amendment will also make it easier to convert obsolete buildings into housing and make it easier for home and property owners to alter and update their buildings. For more information from the City’s webpage, click here.

 

Steal your face

 NY Post

This could put a real dent in the fake ID market.

The New York State Senate is moving forward with proposed legislation that would allow bars and restaurants to use facial recognition or fingerprint scanners to verify someone’s age before they buy alcohol, tobacco or electronic cigarettes.

“This is the new frontier of age verification,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, who is sponsoring the biometrics bill. “It does advance the interests of convenience.”

Skoufis envisions that bars and restaurants could scan fingerprints, faces or retinas of customers who want to be spared the trouble of showing an ID when they return to an establishment in the future. The proposed legislation requires all data to be encrypted and prohibits businesses from selling biometric data to third parties.

“No one’s forced into engaging with this technology, but they would have the choice,” Skoufis said. “There’s no big brother involved.”

Skoufis, who chairs the Investigation and Government Operations Committee, said he expects his committee will advance the proposal to the full Senate Monday. There is currently no sponsor in the Assembly though Skoufis said several members have expressed interest.

State lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the year on June 2.

Washington state approved a similar proposal in 2018, which allows spectators at professional sporting events to pass security and buy concessions with their fingerprints.

The legislative language states that the State Liquor Authority and the state Department of Health would be responsible for crafting regulations controlling the recording and maintenance of biometric data, which the bill states must be “stored in a centralized, highly secured, encrypted biometric database.”

Expanding the use of biometrics means privacy risks for New Yorkers, according to Albert Fox Cahn, a visiting fellow at Yale Law School and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. And unlike a credit card number or driver’s license, biometrics canno ever be changed, he added.

“This is a horrifying invitation for identity theft,” he said. “If one bar or restaurant gets hacked, our identities are compromised for the rest of our lives … more biometric data, potentially expands the power of government agencies to track us because this data is just going to be one court order away from being turned into a policing tool.”

 

Next stop Palitzville

Aerial Palitz, Noisemonger

 

NY Post 

The City That Never Sleeps could soon live up to its nickname.

New York’s nightlife czar is pushing to create 24-hour “entertainment districts,” where it would be OK for booze to flow, bass to thump and bodies to sway around the clock.

Despite the city already partying like it’s 1999.

“Everything is on the table right now,” said Ariel Palitz, who runs the city’s Office of Nightlife.

“We do know that 24-hour usage is very successful in other parts of the world. People say it might be terrible for quality of life, but in fact we found the opposite.”

Her recommendation is buried on page 136 of a 160-page report issued this month by Palitz’s taxpayer-funded agency, a division of the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.

The report claims that “uniform closing hours” for bars and clubs “can lead to increased tensions when groups of people simultaneously exit venues into public streets and sidewalks.

“Allowing 24-hour use in specified districts, if implemented properly, can help people to move at their own pace and reduce conflicts.”

 But the proposal comes as crime in New York is surging, quality-of-life violations have escalated and city leaders have failed to stem raging after-hours parties — with hot spots that include Washington Square Park and Hell Square in the Lower East Side.

Adding 24-hour entertainment can only make matters worse, cautioned Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a think tank focused on urban policy.

“We need to retain New York City’s fragile residential population right now more than we need a few thousand more drunk people in the streets,” she told The Post.

“The city is already having trouble policing disorder. Now think about the unique challenges of trying to police a place where people go to behave in a way they wouldn’t behave at home. You have to wonder if New York City is up to the challenge.”

Liquor in the front, face masks in the rear

 

 Gothamist

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that a pair of pandemic restrictions affecting New York restaurants and bars will end next month: the midnight food and beverage curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining beginning May 17th and for indoor dining beginning May 31st. In addition, seating at bars will be allowed again in NYC starting May 3rd.

Cuomo said in a statement that this was a result of New Yorkers getting vaccinated and complying with pandemic guidelines.

"Everything we've been doing is working—all the arrows are pointing in the right direction and now we're able to increase economic activity even more," Cuomo said. "Lifting these restrictions for restaurants, bars and catering companies will allow these businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic to begin to recover as we return to a new normal in a post-pandemic world."

Cuomo also announced that the 1 a.m. curfew for catered events (where attendees have provided proof of vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test result) will be lifted beginning May 17th, with the curfew for all catered events set to be lifted May 31st. Catered events will also be able to resume at residences beginning May 3rd.

“New York City’s restaurants and bars have been financially devastated by COVID-19 restrictions and it’s great news that the state will finally undo the barstool ban and lift the arbitrary midnight curfew," said Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. "These outdated policies made it too difficult for too many small business owners and workers to support themselves and their families, and were a grave inconvenience to customers. Lifting these restrictions is an important step forward for restaurants and bars across New York City, and we will continue working with the state to safely and completely reopen our hospitality industry, bring back jobs and sustain vital small businesses.” 

That isn't all: another Cuomo executive order that required restaurants and bars to serve food with alcohol is expected to be repealed by the NY State Senate and Assembly on Wednesday.

“Good riddance. Governor Cuomo never explained why this rule made New Yorkers any safer from COVID-19, and it’s great to see the Legislature easing the burden on struggling bars and restaurants. Face masks and social distancing are what stop the spread – not chips and salsa,” said Mitch Schwartz, spokesperson for the mayor's office.

Cuomo announces Black Monday lockdown to restaurants and bars

Greenpoint Post

Indoor dining in New York City could close once again if the city’s hospitalization rate continues to rise, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today.

The governor said if the rate does not stabilize within five days indoor dining would close. The closure could come as early as next Monday, Dec. 14, he said.

Cuomo said that eateries would get a warning before the shutdown went into effect. Currently, restaurants are limited to 25 percent capacity.

NEW: If after 5 days a region’s hospital rate has not stabilized, indoor dining will close or be reduced.

-In NYC, indoor dining would close entirely.

-In rest of the state, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 7, 2020

The New York City hospitalization rate has been increasing for weeks — and is expected to climb, Cuomo said.

“We are looking at continued increases through from now through mid-January,” Cuomo said, noting that the holidays will lead to an uptick in new coronavirus cases.

Faculty and students are guinea pigs for the city's indoor dining policy

Eater

 Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed Thursday what some NYC restaurant owners have suspected all along: A return to indoor dining is contingent on how the city’s schools perform when they reopen on September 10.

When a reporter pointed out to the mayor again Thursday that a return to indoor dining had been postponed indefinitely, de Blasio was more measured in his response than earlier in the week when he indicated that indoor dining might not return until next year.

“As more and more people come back to work, as schools begin, you know, we’ll get to see a lot about what our long-term health picture looks like, and that’s going to help inform our decisions going forward,” said de Blasio referring to the administration’s wait and watch approach on making a decision on indoor dining.

While the rest of the state has allowed indoor dining to proceed at half capacity for the last two months, New York City restauranteurs have been waiting indefinitely, despite the fact that the city has largely brought the spread of the COVID-19 largely under control. Still, New York leaders like de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have expressed concern due to the city’s density and population. 

The Blaz is a sick mofo. 

How do you solve a problem like Astoria? You ignore it for a month.

Patch

 Crowds of people drinking and dining on the sidewalks of Astoria are drawing ire for flouting social distancing rules and forgoing masks.

The city's 311 hotline received dozens of complaints Friday and Saturday in the two ZIP codes that cover the main commercial drags of 30th Avenue and Broadway, a Patch data analysis found.

The Grand, at 37-01 30th Ave., was the subject of seven complaints Friday of loud music and customers not social distancing.

George Ballis, owner of The Grand, said he's tried asking the crowds to disperse — but that he gets a profanity-laced earful in return.

"I beg them like, guys, please, I don't want to get in trouble," Ballis said. "I understand that the local residents are upset, and I hear their frustration."

 Ballis said he's doing the most he can: He cleans and disinfects the restaurant weekly, makes his employees wear masks and has his bouncers try to get people moving.

"There's nothing that I can do to somebody when they're on a New York City sidewalk," he said. "All I can do is protect my staff."

Across the street from The Grand, partiers outside Blend Astoria racked up eight complaints Friday and Saturday of loud music and a lack of social distancing and face coverings. (Calls to Blend were twice put on hold indefinitely.)

Another three complaints listed 30th Avenue in general, where videos posted on social media showed crowds of maskless partiers on the sidewalk.

"People seem to forget we're in the middle of a pandemic," City Council Member Costa Constantinides said in a statement Sunday. "While I understand the need for people to get out and our small businesses to reopen, we all have a civic duty to continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask and keep others safe. Our healthcare system cannot take another shock from this virus."

This story was posted on June 14 2020 by Maya Kaufman.

Which was a week before Phase 2 that permitted restaurants to serve on tables outside.

How do you solve a problem like Astoria?

The following videos are presented without comment.

Unruly Crowd in Street Throwing Objects at Police @CitizenApp

28th Ave & Steinway St 1:31:51 AM EDT

Steinway will be closed by tomorrow 😩😩 pic.twitter.com/izogF8nAvc

— Marty Byrde (@ItsM_E_Z) July 18, 2020

Crowds are still gathering at bars despite rise of COVID-19 cases

Eater

After a Saturday night with many restaurants and bars filled with people, more government officials are calling for a shutdown of public spaces to help curb the spread of COVID-19 — including closing restaurants and bars.

On Sunday afternoon, City Council speaker Corey Johnson joined in on the cacophony of voices calling for a shutdown of “non-essential” businesses, including restaurants and bars, though he added that delivery services should stay open.

Brad Ladner, the city councilman for Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, and Comptroller Scott Stringer, “out of an abundance of caution,” called for closures earlier in the weekend. And Councilman Mark Levine, who chairs the Council Committee on Health, said that many venues were violating the new state order requiring businesses to reduce capacity in half. He too called for a shutdown, under the hashtag #shutdownNYC, pointing to the health of staff, who have no choice but to show up.

Meanwhile, on Saturday night in nearby Hoboken, Mayor Ravinder Bhalla banned all restaurants from having dine-in customers and closed bars without food all together, also implementing a 10 p.m. curfew for residents. The development came about after a person who got into a bar fight in Hoboken waited more than 30 minutes for an ambulance due to a strained health system, Bhalla wrote in a press release.

“This is not OK. This is not a drill. This is dangerous,” Levine tweeted.

Bars almost always get away with being loud

From NBC:

New Yorkers fed up with noisy nightlife have the odds stacked against them when filing complaints about loud bars and clubs. The I Teams Chris Glorioso reports.



(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Slán do anois, Shannon Pot!

From LIC Post:

The Shannon Pot, a longstanding Irish dive bar in Long Island City, will be closing down for a second time, but with plans already in the horizon to remain in the neighborhood.

The bar and restaurant, currently located at 21-59 44th Dr., will close on Friday as developers plan on bulldozing the one-story building to make way for a seven-story residential and commercial project.

The business, in the neighborhood since 1999, was already forced to relocate to its current 44th Drive site in 2014 from its prior spot at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Davis Street, which was also demolished as part of the two-story project under construction at the former 5Pointz site.

But a spokesperson for The Shannon Pot told the LIC Post that the developer, Kyriacos Stavrinou, has promised them a place at their upcoming development.

The spokesperson said The Shannon Pot will be back in business when the new building is completed. The bar currently has no plans to reopen elsewhere in the meantime, but could potentially do so if a short-term lease were obtained.

Maspeth bar shut down for prostitution, drugs, gambling & counterfeit cigarettes

From NBC:

A Queens bar had its liquor license suspended after authorities allegedly uncovered prostitution, narcotics, illicit gambling and untaxed cigarettes.

The New York State Liquor Authority issued the emergency suspension of Huang Jia Inc in Maspeth Wednesday effective immediately, which prohibits alcohol to be sold or consumed on the premises.

According to the State Liquor Authority, SLA investigators and officers with the New York City Police Department’s Citywide Vice-Enforcement Division executed a search warrant of the bar on April 12. During the search warrant, investigators allegedly discovered 97 packs of counterfeit or untaxed cigarettes, jars and bags filled with the narcotic ketamine, records related to the sale of prostitution and illegal gambling devices.

The NYPD made nine arrests, including the bar’s owner, for criminal possession of a controlled substance. Additionally, a number of hazardous conditions were observed, including overcrowding, blocked exits and non-working emergency lighting, the State Liquor Authority says.

On April 14, the NYPD and SLA conducted a follow up inspection, making six arrests after allegedly discovering patrons with ketamine in three separate karaoke rooms inside the bar and finding patrons consuming alcohol after closing hours.

On April 16, the SLA charged the establishment with 22 violations of the ABC Law, including disorderly premises for permitting prostitution, gambling, trafficking of controlled substances, failure to supervise and for becoming a focal point for police attention.

Between March 15th and April 12th, the NYPD conducted three undercover operations where detectives posing as customers allegedly purchased narcotics, prostitution and gambling — all which formed the basis for the April 12 raid, officials say.

According to the NYPD, there was an alleged a pattern of criminal activity in and around the premises months prior to these incidents.

Do we really need an ambassador of nightlife?

From the Daily News:

Mayor de Blasio wants to hire a “nightlife ambassador” as part of the jobs plan he announced Thursday, to serve as a liaison between city government and local music spots and clubs.

“We want to have an office that’s really going to work with the various music venues, with the nightclubs, with bars and restaurants and also take into account the community perspective,” Julie Menin, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, said.

The idea for the new gig comes from the “night mayor” concept used in London and Amsterdam — “only the coolest,” de Blasio noted in listing the cities.

Earlier this year, Menin’s office put out a study that found jobs and wages in the city’s music industry were growing faster than the city average.

“This is an area of tremendous growth for New York,” she said.

But for the live music fans who have mourned the loss of small music venues — especially “DIY” or do-it-yourself venues sometimes hit with city fines — it may feel more like the industry is shrinking. According to Economic Development Corporation President James Patchett, that’s not just hipster nostalgia talking: Another study from Menin’s office had found a 20% decline in smaller music venues over the last 15 years.

But whoever takes on the job won’t just be cheerleading for Baby’s All Right and The Bell House — they’ll also have to balance community concerns about things like noise, Menin said.

Wondering what will replace Monahan & Fitzgerald

Hi Crappy,

I wanted to let you know of an development that may be of some concern to Bayside residents. One of the Irish restaurants just off Bell Boulevard has been sold....and I am told that it will be redeveloped as "Mixed Use". The new owners, paid $2.5 million dollars which is fine, but I am wondering about zoning and what they can actually build there.

I am just concerned that the new owners plan something that is out of character. Hoping that someone out there can review the zoning maps and identify what zoning this parcel is under.

Thanks,

A concerned Baysider

According to zoning consultant Paul Graziano, "This parcel is in an R6B zone with a C1-2 commercial overlay. 40 x 100 lot - expect a 4,000+ square foot building with underground parking and community facility use."

Cops tipped off Flushing bars about drug raids

From Eyewitness News:

There are big charges of corruption and bribery against two NYPD officers at the 109th precinct.

They are accused of protecting drug activities at karaoke social clubs instead of clamping down on illegal activities.

No one is singing at these karaoke clubs in Flushing Tuesday night, but informants are against two officers.

A lieutenant and detective are under arrest, charged with bribery and other crimes.

Prosecutors believe they were getting cash each month work from various karaoke bars in Queens in exchange for protection.

According to the indictment, the officers would warn the club of upcoming drug raids.

Or if arrests were already made, they would try to minimize the charges.

Keeping the karaoke bars singing proved a lucrative side job.

According to investigators, one of the officers was receiving $2,000 a month in cash from one of the owners.

2 long time businesses close

From the Queens Courier:

Seafood restaurant Pier 25A in Bayside closed its doors this week after 33 years on Northern Boulevard.

According to Pier 25A’s website, the restaurant was forced to close after the landlord declined to renew the lease for the iconic building, which is designed to resemble a wooden ship, at 215-16 Northern Blvd.

The landlord opted instead to tear the building down and build new storefronts over the next year.

Also got word that the Hilltap Tavern, which is probably older than anyone reading this post, closed for good Monday. It was located on Grand Avenue in Elmhurst.

Sunnyside deals with problem bar

From Sunnyside Post:

A bar/restaurant located on the corner of 48th Street and Barnett Avenue has come under fire by local residents.

Several residents have complained about noise coming from the 47-15 Barnett Avenue establishment, while others allege that it has been operating well past 4 am (after hours).

Community Board 2 Chair Pat O’Brien said the board has fielded more than six complaints regarding the establishment in recent months.

Furthermore, the operators of the bar/restaurant—called Baru–have failed to show up at several board meetings in recent months to discuss the renewal of their liquor license, according to board records.

Emilo Rubio opened Baru in 2012 as a Colombian restaurant.

This one's not so wily

s From LIC Post:

A coyote has taken up residence in Long Island City and has been stuck on the roof of LIC Bar all day.

The tenants who live above LIC Bar discovered the wild animal this morning when they saw it from their back window, according to Brian Porter, the owner of the bar.

Porter said that they think the coyote entered via a broken window from the old Paragon Paint building and couldn’t get back inside the old building.

Queens may claim oldest bar in city

From the Daily News:

The oldest gin joint in the city is located in the middle of a quiet Queens neighborhood, according to a borough historian.

Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven opened in 1829, almost 30 years before the fabled McSorley’s Old Ale House was constructed, said Richard Hourahan of the Queens Historical Society.

Hourahan said he conducted the research with a Neir’s owner, Loycent Gordon, to try to sort out fact from fiction about city bars. They were also exploring whether Neir’s can be included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Won't someone please gentrify Rego Park?

From DNA Info:

As a number of buildings with “Manhattan-style” amenities have started to pop up between decades-old red brick apartment buildings in recent years, the dearth of eateries and nightlife in the area is coming into focus.

“I feel like Rego Park ... is the kind of neighborhood that is more suitable for people who are just starting off a family or people who are in their mid 50s or who are senior citizens,” said Steven Feldman, 24, a student at Hofstra University, who lives in Rego Park.

He said that when he and his friends want to go out, they usually head to Astoria, Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Feldman said that among the venues he would like to see in the neighborhood, are lounges and pubs similar to Forest Hills Station House, as well as a bowling alley.

But he said he worried that new spots could face opposition from older members of the community, because, "the kinds of people that make up the neighborhood don’t like us," he said referring to younger residents.

Yes, that's because the arrival of these establishments usually means the people already living in these neighborhoods are going to be priced out shortly. And then you have the typical community board yahoos pining for that to happen...

Frank Gulluscio, district manager of CB6, which covers Rego Park and Forest Hills, said the area, especially along 63rd Drive, is “a prime location for some of the things that [younger residents] might be looking for.”

“It could be Martha’s Bakery, it could be a cupcake store, it could be an upscale wine and cheese place,” he said. “Somebody has to start it, like they did in Williamsburg and Red Hook.”

Yes, I'm sure Rego Park wants to become the next Williamsburg. Here's some news: Williamsburg doesn't even want to be Williamsburg anymore.

But some residents worried that the neighborhood is developing too quickly.

The influx of new residents, she said, may for example lead to more overcrowding at local schools.

“A bigger concern for me is about what that means for our infrastructure,” said Yvonne Shortt, a local activist and the founder of the Rego Park Green Alliance.

STOP MAKING SENSE.