WHO WE ARE
Neighborhoods United formed in the summer of 2018, uniting Block Associations, Community Organizations and residents from across New York City’s five boroughs to advocate for common sense development of our neighborhoods that includes and respects the local, existing community.
WHY WE ARE UNITED
Big real estate, the hospitality and nightlife lobby, and the liquor industry are replacing New York City’s network of unique and diverse neighborhoods into one-size-fits-all late-night economy monoculture that excludes local residents from the decisions that impact their communities.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) (directly overseen by the Governor and under the umbrella of New York Department of Agriculture) has completely distorted, and in many instances, abandoned, the 500 Foot Law, which was enacted in 1993 to curb liquor license clustering and saturation in order to keep neighborhoods safe, healthy, and maintain fair and equal quality of life standards for all communities.
The Governor and New York State Legislature has the responsibility for oversight of alcohol to ensure the health and safety of their constituents and that all laws related to alcohol are enforced to protect them—a responsibility that has been neglected.
NYC Community Boards are charged with making recommendations on approval or denial of liquor license applications. Many community boards, after routinely being overturned by the SLA in recommending liquor license denials, have opted for weak stipulations on the operating conditions of liquor serving establishments. Other Community Boards have been complicit in liquor license saturation because their voting members have vested interests and/or to support the economic interests of real estate developers over the welfare of residents, non-licensed and other licensed small businesses.
59 Community
Boards
Recommends to NY SLA Deny or
Approve
Gov. Cuomo
Oversees the
NY SLA, Responsible for Enforcing All Laws
Senate
Creates Laws,
Confirms the
Governor's
Appointment
to NY SLA,
a Check on
the Governor
Commissioner Fan
NY SLA, Grants Licenses
Commissioner Ford
NY SLA,
Grants Licenses
Assembly
Creates Laws,
a Check on
the Governor
Chairman Bradley
NY SLA,
Grants Licenses
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS TO CONTROL AND MODERATE DRINKING "FOR THE PROTECTION, HEALTH, WELFARE, AND SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE." ITS SECONDARY PURPOSE IS TO PROMOTE THE ECONOMY. THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY HAS REVERSED THESE. THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY MUST RETURN TO ITS REGULATORY FUNCTION AND PRIMARY PURPOSE.
Neighborhoods United, 2018
WHAT ROLE WILL THE MAYOR'S NEW OFFICE OF NIGHTLIFE PLAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS?
Powerful Lobby / Trade Group & Political Donors
Council Member
Rafael Espinal
Mayor
Bill De Blasio
Speaker
Cory Johnson
Commissioner
Julie Menin
Nightlife Mayor
Ariel Palitz*
Andrew Rigie
Executive Director
Robert Bookman
Liquor Lawyer & Lobbyist*
*Robert Bookman (Co-Founder, Counsel)
Ariel Palitz, Founding Member
Lobby /Trade Group Folded into NYC Hospitality Alliance
OUR MISSION
Activate the power of thousands of residents from hundreds of neighborhoods across the five boroughs of New York City to pressure our elected leaders to enforce all laws and regulations that have been passed to protect us, return control of our neighborhoods to the people who live in them, and engage and expand the electorate to demand fair and equal development of our communities.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
1. NY SLA
MUST
PROTECT THE
PUBLIC
2. NY SLA MUST STRICTLY
ENFORCE THE 500 FT LAW
3."PUBLIC
INTEREST" MUST BENEFIT LOCALS
4. GOVERNOR
MUST INCREASE
FUNDING FOR NY SLA INSPECTORS
7. MAYOR &
CITY COUNCIL
NEED TO CREATE QTY OF LIFE INDEX
SEE
DETAILED LIST
5. SLA MUST
PRO-ACTIVELY
ENFORCE
ALL LAWS
8. COMMUNITY BOARDS MUST
DEVELOP A UNIFORM & TRANSPARENT
LIQUOR LICENSE OUTREACH & NOTIFICATION STANDARD
6. NY SLA & COMMUNITY BOARDS
MUST ADOPT
PROCESS REFORMS & ESTABLISH EQUAL & FAIR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES
9. DEVELOPMENT MUST FOCUS ON
LOCAL DIVERSITY & QUALITY OF LIFE
500 FT LAW
IGNORED!
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Law - ABC § 64 states: No retail license for on-premises consumption SHALL BE GRANTED... within five hundred feet of three or more existing premises licensed and operating pursuant to this section...
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!
If the location is subject to the 500 ft rule, and no other exception applies, the license cannot be issued unless the SLA makes an affirmative finding that it is in the public interest to issue the license. This clearly creates a presumption that the license should not be issued.
6 IN 60 LAW
IGNORED!
Referred to as the "Quality of Life" tool, 6 in 60 Law provides for the revocation of a liquor license for cause upon a sixth incident reported to the authority of noise, disturbance, misconduct or disorder upon or related to the operation of the licensed premises.
WE ARE FED UP WITH OUR BELOVED LOCAL VENUES, PUBS AND MOM-AND-POP SHOPS BEING DRIVEN OUT OF BUSINESS BY GENERIC MEGA-CLUBS, CLUBSTAURANTS, LARGE SCALE HOTEL NIGHTLIFE, AND HIGH-VOLUME SPORTS BARS OWNED BY MULTINATIONAL, MULTI-LOCATION NIGHTLIFE AND HOSPITALITY CORPORATIONS.
Neighborhoods United, 2018
GET INVOLVED!
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FROM DISAPPEARING
AND DIVERSITY
NEIGHBORHOODS,
MIX OF VIBRANT
UNIQUE CULTURE,
NEW YORK CITY'S
HELP STOP,