The other day, we reported the City Council was taking a look at whether the Hotel on Rivington’s sidewalk cafe license should be renewed. Today, they signed off on a two-year renewal, affirming a recent decision from the Department of Consumer Affairs. In 2007, the city decided to approve the original sidewalk permit, in spite of objections from Community Board 3.
In the absence of any complaints about noise or other glaring issues, the Council saw no reason to reject the renewal. Last week, Councilmember Margaret Chin flagged the application, to give her staff time to consult with CB3 about the situation. The community board has ongoing concerns about congestion from both cars and pedestrians on the section of Rivington Street where the hotel is located (just west of Essex). There was agreement, however, that management had acted responsibly and had done nothing to jeopardize their license.
