LIQUOR AND NIGHTLIFE

• Liquor License Review Process
• For Licensees
• Nightlife Saturation and Nightlife Reform
• Problems with Liquor-Licensed Establishments
• Rear Yard Policy

Liquor License Review Process

Under New York State's Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, Community Boards are charged with reviewing applications for licenses that allow the on-premises consumption of liquor. CB 4 reviews applications for new restaurants, bars, and nightclubs every month at its Business Licenses & Permits Committee meeting.

Applicants for a liquor license must notify the Board of their intentions 30 days prior to submitting their application to the State Liquor Authority (SLA). The Board takes this time to invite the applicants and their neighbors to a committee meeting, where the applicants' business plans are discussed. Based on community participation, the Committee may recommend approval or denial of the license, or may ask the applicants to make changes to their business plan in order to minimize potential negative impacts on the community. The Committee's recommendation is reviewed by the full Board at its monthly meeting, and the final recommendation is submitted to the State Liquor Authority for its consideration.

The SLA is under no obligation to comply with the Board's recommendation, but it must consider it. If the new venue will be located within 500 feet of 3 or more existing liquor-licensed establishments, the SLA must hold a public 500 Foot Hearing to determine if the new licensee will be in the public interest. The public may attend the 500 Foot Hearing, may participate, and may submit comments in writing. This rule applies only to businesses that will serve hard liquor - those that will serve only beer and wine are not subject to it. (Similarly, a new license that allows service of hard liquor may not be granted to an establishment located within 200 feet of a school or place of worship.)

Businesses that wish to allow their customers to dance must also apply to the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for a cabaret license. There are additional licensing requirements intended to insure that patrons will be safe, many of which were given added attention after the 1990 Happy Land Social Club fire. The Board's review process for cabaret licenses is the same as for liquor licenses, but the recommendation is submitted to DCA and there are no further public hearings.

Follow the links at left for our current agenda and a list of past applications. Resolutions relating to past applicants can be found by searching our archives. You can search by any keyword, including the business name, the corporate name, and the address.

For Licensees

Please submit your 30-day Notice to the Board by certified mail, return receipt requested. Notices must be received at least one week prior to the Business Licenses meeting in order to be included on the agenda. Please note your business' corporate name, the name it will operate under if known, its location, the type of license you intend to apply for, and current contact information (if you are not currently in possession of the space, we will not be able to reach you there.)

We will mail you an invitation to our committee meeting, along with a questionnaire to fill out, and a public notice to post in the window of the premises. We must receive the questionnaire back prior to the committee meeting. We also ask for drawings of the proposed space, and a proposed menu if applicable. We may ask for additional information when warranted, particularly for businesses seeking a cabaret license. The Business Licenses & Permits Committee will make a recommendation to the full Board regarding your license, and the full Board will vote on the recommendation at its next meeting. You may be asked to attend that meeting as well, but attendance is generally not required.

The Board is most interested in how your business will interact with your new neighbors. Community concerns generally include traffic, crowd control, security, and, in particular, noise. We have found that business-related noise upsetting to neighbors can usually be traced to four main sources: insufficient soundproofing or open doors and windows that allow music to be heard outside the business; late night operation of backyards, rooftops, and terraces; patrons congregating in front of a business, often to smoke; and honking. If you believe that your business has the potential to generate significant traffic, noise, or crowds, please come prepared to tell the Board how you will minimize the negative impact on the community.

If you would like to get started early, you can download a copy of our questionnaire here.
Liquor License Questionnaire

For information about how to apply for a liquor license, visit the SLA's website.
For information about how to apply for a cabaret license, visit DCA's website

Nightlife Saturation and Nightlife Reform

Manhattan Community Board 4 is home to a disproportionately large share of Manhattan's dance clubs. Large dance clubs can generally be located only in manufacturing districts and certain types of commercial districts, and parts of the far western edges of Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen maintain their original manufacturing zoning. Adult use zoning limits even further where strip clubs may be located and some of the legal sites in Manhattan, of which there are few, are also located along the district's western edge.

CB 4 reviews each licensee before it on a case-by-case basis, and generally welcomes responsible business owners. However, the explosive growth of nightlife establishments in certain areas, has created secondary effects due to saturation. The Board is concerned about noise, traffic, and the safety of patrons and residents. Board Chair J. Lee Compton recently served as a member of State Liquor Authority Task Force, which reviewed liquor laws and released this report.

In addition, beginning in December of 2005, Board 4 began bringing residents and government officials together to discuss the cumulative impacts of nightlife in West Chelsea. Information gathered in preparation for those meetings, and reform proposals that resulted, can be found at left. The Board's concerns about saturation and secondary effects coincided with a new citywide attention to nightlife, following the traffic deaths of several patrons. Also at left, therefore, are links to the City Council's nightlife reform report and its legislative reforms.

Problems with Liquor-Licensed Businesses

If you have a problem related to a bar, restaurant, or nightclub, please call the Board office at 212-736-4536 to discuss how we can help. Although we cannot take away a business' license, we can let our local business owners know about the problem and work with them to find a solution. We can also help you work with City agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection (noise, fumes); the Department of Sanitation (dirty sidewalks, dumpsters); and the Department of Health (rats). Basic complaints should be reported to the City by calling 311 first, and then please call us with your complaint number. We can also discuss ongoing issues with business owners at the time of their liquor license renewal.