The Community Board 3 panel that evaluates liquor licenses got through their agenda in less than five hours tonight – a shockingly short meeting for this bunch. We'll have a full recap in the morning. But just in case you can't stand the suspense, the SLA committee agreed to support an extension of "Grand Park's" liquor license (reaffirming their original vote back in June). In spite of opposition from several residents of the Seward Park Co-op, the CB3 members said they were unwilling to get involved in what they called internal "co-op politics." Hartman has been in lease negotiations with the Co-op for months. He does not have a signed lease.
The committee also supported applications from Inoteca, Vibrations (116 Avenue C), a new Mexican taqueria in the "Clinton Restaurant" location, a diner from the Freemans team at 325 Bowery and La Gente (an all-day, casual Italian restaurant from the owners of Grotto).
Yesterday, affordable housing advocates and former tenants gathered at the corner of Delancey and Suffolk Streets to mark 42 years of inaction on the five city-owned parcels known as the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. The lots have remained mostly dormant all these years as community groups feuded about their redevelopment. Several of the participants are members of a community board panel that has been trying to hammer out a plan acceptable to all sides.
Organizers say the time has come to put more pressure on city and state officials to act. More than one speaker urged residents to attend the CB3 meetings on SPURA – and to become actively involved in fighting for affordable housing on the parcels. Longtime community activist Frances Goldin sharply criticized residents of the Grand Street cooperatives and their political allies, raising the specter of racism, but hardly for the first time, as a reason the neighborhood has been divided for so long.
Also attending yesterday, City Councilmember Rosie Mendez and Councilmember-elect Margaret Chin. Chin did not specifically repeat her campaign pledge to oppose market rate housing altogether on SPURA. Instead she said, "affordable housing has to be part of the equation." However, in a followup, Chin's transition coordinator, Jake Itzkowitz, made it clear she has not changed her position. In an email message, he said, "the starting point should be to pull together affordable housing developers and small businesses to find a way to create affordable housing on that site. The site is going to be mixed use, and there must be affordable housing. It should not include market rate housing, because the area is already saturated."
The community board does not have SPURA on the agenda this month, but is expected to take up the issue again in December.
Lower East Side residents and elected officials came out yesterday to urge the United States Postal Service to keep the Pitt Station Post Office open. The small Clinton Street office is on a list of 271 locations nationwide in jeopardy of being shut down. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, State Sen. Dan Squadron, City Councilmember-elect Margaret Chin and Seward Park Co-op President Michael Tumminia were among those speaking at a large midday rally.
For Mark Bello, pizza-making is not a pastime. It's not a profession. It is a way of life. Last week, I got to witness this phenomenon myself, during a five hour extravaganza in his quirky Chinatown apartment on Catherine Street. Sometime after the first of the year, Mark's company, "Pizza a Casa," will be opening a retail store and cooking school at 371 Grand Street, just east of Essex. The other night, he invited six curious/hungry New Yorkers over for a "hands-on" demonstration.
While we waited for "class to begin," I thumbed through a large book filled with exhaustive evaluations of every worthwhile pizza joint in the city. Mark had graded each pie for the quality of its crust, sauce and toppings. It was only the first indication this guy was not messing around. Mark created "Pizza a Casa" five years ago, teaching pizza-making at places like the Astor Center and Murray's Cheese Shop. From the beginning, his boundless enthusiasm and passion made him a big hit at birthday parties and other special events.
Later today the City Council will vote in favor of several bills that would force the NYPD to be a bit more lenient in issuing parking violations. Mayor Bloomberg has vowed to veto the bills, but Councilmembers say they have more than enough votes to override his veto.
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