The Hotel on Rivington might have to fight to keep its sidewalk cafe. Yesterday the City Council voted to review the “action of the Department of Consumer Affairs approving an unenclosed sidewalk cafe located at 107 Rivington Street.” In 2007, Community Board 3 opposed the hotel’s original application, saying Rivington is a “narrow street which is already overcrowded by pedestrian and vehicular traffic from… nightlife
establishments…” Their resolution also noted that, when the hotel operators applied for their liquor license, they promised not to add sidewalk seating.
In spite of CB3′s opposition back then, the hotel got its sidewalk license. Now it’s up for renewal – and District 1 City Councilmember Margaret Chin is taking a hard look at how the license got approved in the first place, and whether the city should have signed off on an extension. The sidewalk cafe adjoins Lavant East, the hotel’s trendy restaurant and lounge.
The matter will be taken up by the Council’s land use committee. Among the other sidewak applications they’ll review: Poco (33 Avenue B).
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