Coming up next week, Community Board 3’s transportation/public safety committee will be taking a look at whether a high density of liquor permits has an adverse impact on local public health and public safety.
Community District 3 is, of course, home to one of the largest concentrations of bars, clubs and alcohol-centered restaurants in the city. The committee will be examining “existing data” to find out whether there’s a link between liquor permits and the well-being of the local community, and whether anything should be done to deal with any adverse effects.
There will be presentations from Robert Pezzolesi of the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance, Professor Sigmund Shipp of Hunter College. Shipp will be joined by two graduate students who recently published a report on the link between liquor permits and public health on the Lower East Side. The students conducted the study at the request of the Lower East Side Dwellers neighborhood group.
The board could potentially ask the State Liquor Authority, local Department of Health or the city’s new “Night Mayor” to address the issue.
According to CB3’s public notice, the committee is, “interested in hearing from community members’ and organizations’ about their perceptions of any link (or lack thereof) between the number of alcohol serving establishments in your neighborhoods and declining or improving local health and safety conditions.”
The meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6:45 p.m., Downtown Art, 70 East Fourth St.
