There’s been a setback for Eastwood, the bar poised to open very soon at 221 East Broadway (Clinton Street). The State Liquor Authority ruled yesterday that a new license cannot be granted at this location because the bar is less than 200 feet from at least one church.
In June of last year, Community Board 3 decided to support the full liquor application after a contentious debate. Neighbors were divided; some spoke in favor of the establishment while others expressed concerns about noise and late night crowds. One prominent opponent was Pastor Marc Rivera of Primitive Christian Church, located a block or so away from the proposed bar.
During the community board hearings, the two sides disagreed whether the license would be in violation of what’s known as the “200 Foot Rule,” a section of state law that “prohibits certain licenses from being issued if the location of the establishment is on the same street and within 200 feet of a building that is used exclusively as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship.” But the SLA agreed with the opponents. Local elected officials sent a letter to the liquor authority requesting a review of the “200 Foot” issue.
Eastwood owners Sivan Harlap and Andrew States now have a decision to make. They could end up going for a beer and wine license. The 200 Foot Rule only applies to full liquor permits. We’ll let you know what we hear.
ouch, that sucks!
Actually according to google maps, Eastwood is beyond the 200 ft required by the law. The states the measurement to be from the center of the main entrance and since I understand Eastwood’s entrance is around the corner on Clinton, it’s seems to be beyond 200 feet, but I don’t know if they measure at a right angle or not.
Oh Happy Day! Praise the Lord. Who needs our quiet little neighborhood to become saturated with with the kind of late-night awfulness above Delancey? Let the vomiting girls from the suburbs stay north of here
Good! One less bar in the LES!
Does anyone else find it ironic that the word “primitive” is in this church’s name?
The law, if you check it, actually states to the nearest entrance, not the main entrance. It’s also within 200 ft of the synagogue at 233 East Broadway.
A big mistake in choosing this location – less than 200 ft from a synagogue AND a church. which both opposed the bar, not to mention fierce opposition from vocal neighbors (600+ signatures opposing). In addition to opening a restaurant instead of a bar, the owners may be able to sue their lawyer(s) who totally missed this.
The law says from main door not an exit.
The owners should have made sure this was all done BEFORE they constructed the space. As you say big mistake with venue vacant spaces on 2nd avenue and ave b as well which they could have gone for
Maybe the main door can be moved from one side of the venue to the other that might get the extra few feet they need? They will have to open up because people crowdfunded the venue expecting a venue to enjoy and they have people’s money now. Madness to open up here
The actual law (available here: http://www.sla.ny.gov/system/files/200-500ft-rule.pdf) says NEAREST exit, not MAIN exit. The access ramp also counts. Plus, the bar is also less than 200 ft away from a synagogue.
Actually David,
Section 64-d, subsection 8(c) specifically states:
“(c) the measurements in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision are to be taken in straight lines from the center of the nearest entrance of the premises sought to be licensed to the center of the nearest entrance of such school, church, synagogue or other place of worship”
“Emergency/fire
exits, maintenance access, and doors to gain access to non-public areas
are not used in the measurement.”
But I’m not a lawyer, and this is prob. about making them spend money on lawyers they prob. don’t have. They’ll open non the less if only with beer wine. I find the whole thing silly.
what about 169 Bar @ 169 East Broadway? there is a chinese church next to the forward Building.its like 50 feet away from the bar….
darn
The bar did hire a lawyer
The already did that – moved the entrance from the front (East Broadway, where the deli entrance was) to as deep on Clinton as they could. Still less than 200 ft. What crowdfunding?
One bar does not make a neighborhood “saturated.” If more were to start popping up I’ll be right beside you calling for an end to it, but so far, that street is pretty dead. I’m still holding out hope that they will be approved for beer and wine. Eastwood will be a neighborhood bar – not a trap for the Bridge and Tunnel crowd. How “quiet” do you think the neighborhood will be when businesses stop trying to open here and it becomes a slum filled with liquor stores with bullet proof glass and cheapo delis. “Quiet”, economically depressed neighborhoods just breeds breeds criminality.
What a drag. Seriously.