Fight Busters!

Downtown Express covers the Fight Buster's Movement

2008-01-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Patrick Hedlund from Downtown Express recently wrote about the plight of Buster's and how the community rallied to strike a blow at the Community Board.

http://downtownexpress.com/de_245/facingtribeca.html

Assemblymember Deborah Glick's Letters to the SLA Commissioner

2008-01-16T23:27:00.001-08:00

One way to build consensus when approaching the State Liquor Authority is to gain the support of local politicians. Assemblymember Deborah Glick from the 66th District has been an advocate of community rights and quality of life issues -- in particular, she's been very proactive on issues of alcohol licensing.

We were pleasantly surprised to see that she wrote not one, but two letters to Chairman Boyle at the State Liquor Authority for his consideration. Although we are awaiting his decision, we can't help but be swayed by Glick's strongly worded letter in opposition to 200 Water Group.

Thanks to Assemblymember Glick and Bess Matassa, her community liason, for their support in this matter.

Community Board #1 Supports Our Initiative

2008-01-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Last night, over 60 of us showed up to oppose Buster's at the full community board meeting at PS/IS 89 in Tribeca. CB1 unanimously voted to retract their previous approval and also issued a unanimous resolution to oppose 200 Water Group LLC, whose ownership operated Buster's Garage. A representative from Assemblymember Glick's office also read her opposition to 200 Water Group, and has sent letters to the SLA.

It was a major blow for Buster's, and no one from their side attended the meeting.

Today, we are submitting documents to the State Liquor Authority as follow-up to the January 2 500 foot hearing. The administrative judge had granted us an extension to file documents based on the fact that 1) the SLA hadn't scanned the application until last week, and 2) the community board had consented to re-hear the issue.

There is a two day period in which lawyers can submit rebuttals, and then it's in the hands of the commissioners for the SLA.

Thanks to everyone who showed up for the various hearings and forums. Although we can't call the victory final yet, we sure have represented our opposition as a community and sent a strong message to our representatives.

Victory at the Tribeca Committee

2008-01-10T14:29:00.001-08:00

Results of the Meeting of the Tribeca Committee of Community Board #1 held on January 9, 2008:

More than 70 members of the community attended the meeting.  The Committee heard from the attorney for the applicant; the attorney for the community residents and from members of the community and asked questions of the various parties.  Members of the Committee engaged in a discussion of the issues presented, namely the duplicity and deception of the applicant in submitting a different set of floor plans to the community board and then to the State Liquor Authority. After discussion, the Committee approved the following resolutions:

1.  To reconsider and rescind its original vote not to oppose the liquor license of the 200 Water Group LLC; Approved 11-0 and

2.  To recommend to the State Liquor Authority that the Authority deny the license application of the 200 Water Group LLC for 25 North Moore Street. Approve 10 plus one abstention.

The matter must now go before the full Community Board on January 15 for ratification and final approval of the Committee's resolutions.  It is
strongly recommended that the community turn out for this meeting to demonstrate its support of the resolutions.

The Tribeca Committee Moves us to the top of the Agenda!

2008-01-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Our lawyer, Barry Mallin, was informed by Carol Desaram, the Chair of the Tribeca Committee of Community Board #1, that she would like to hear the 200 Water Group issue FIRST at tonight's 6pm meeting. Our efforts have really made this issue salient for the community.

Remember, there is a security screening checkpoint at the building in which the CB is housed, so show up early!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tribeca Committee of Community Board #1
49-51 Chambers Street
Room 709
6pm

The Community Board Listens...New Meeting Scheduled for Jan 9!

2008-01-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

The Fight Buster's Action Committee has been in talks with Julie Menin, the chairperson of Community Board #1 (CB). We have been informed that she has send a letter to the State Liquor Authority to request postponement of the liquor permit decision on 25 N Moore until after the CB can reconsider the matter on January 15. This is a major victory for us.

So we need you to show up in force at the next Tribeca Committee meeting to show that the community doesn't want Busters!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tribeca Committee of Community Board #1
49-51 Chambers Street
Room 709
6pm

The CB Building has a metal detector and x-ray machine. Please arrive early and leave any bags at home to expedite the security process! Let's go Tribeca!

The Press is on to you Buster.

2008-01-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Buster's thought they were just gonna slide right through unnoticed. Nice try.

Curbed.com
http://curbed.com/archives/2008/01/04/eater_tastings_busters_tries_again_in_tribeca_much_more.php

Tribeca Trib
http://tribecatrib.com/news/newsjan08/Busters.html

Eater.com
http://eater.com/archives/2008/01/first_word_bust.php

State Liquor Authority 500 Foot Hearing

2008-01-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

200 Water Group LLC's application for a liquor permit was received on Dec 17th by the State Liquor Authority. By December 19th, the SLA had already issued a hearing date. By law, the SLA must notify the Community Board with a 15 day notice prior to the hearing, which they did, however, the CB contact was on vacation.

When the CB contact returned to work on Dec 31, he left a voicemail on the work phone of one of the Atalanta Board members, who wasn't working that day. When the board member returned to work on January 2, the voicemail indicated that the 500 Foot Hearing was scheduled for Jan 3 at 11am -- exactly 15 days from the notification date.

The Fight Buster's Action Committee went into hyperdrive to notify local residents, and over 40 of you showed up in the Atalanta lobby at 8pm on 1/2 to listen to our lawyer, Barry Mallin, discuss the issues. Barry pointed out that in all his years of fighting on behalf of various communities, he had never seen the SLA issue a hearing date so quickly....(we'll leave the conclusions to you to make)

The next day, 20 of us boarded a school bus to travel up to Lenox Ave in Harlem, where we were joined by another 5-10 residents to speak against the liquor permit application.

Suffice it to say, the folks from Buster's were pretty damn surprised to see us show up in force. A number of us commented on how many more people would have shown if we had had more than a day's notice!

The mechanics of the 500 Foot Hearing are for an administrative judge to collect information from the applicant and opposition, and write a synopsis that is subsequently submitted to the SLA Commissioner for a final judgment. Although we had a very strong showing of support, we still have an uphill battle since Community Board #1 (CB1) unanimously approved 200 Water's application to move forward with a liquor license. Following today's meeting, our lawyer has one week to submit written documentation (letters, petitions, etc) to the SLA. Our lawyers then have three days to rebut arguments, and finally the SLA will render a decision at their next available meeting.

Make sure you get those letters of opposition to the SLA commissioner and to the doorman at 25 N Moore St.

Write to the State Liquor Authority Chairman

2007-12-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

The State Liquor Authority (SLA) takes community opposition seriously. Fight the cause by writing to the commissioner and leaving a copy of your letter with the doorman at 25 N Moore St. Sample letter below:

****

DATE
Chairman Daniel Boyle
New York State Liquor Authority
317 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 10027

Dear Mr. Boyle:

I am writing to you as a concerned TriBeCa resident living near 25 N Moore St, the Atalanta building.. Recently it has been brought to my attention that 200 Water Group LLC., Inc has leased a space on the ground floor of the Atalanta, and has been given approval by Manhattan Community Board #1 to pursue a liquor license through the SLA.

Our major issue with the future occupant of this space is that this organization once brought to TriBeCa Buster’s Garage, a rowdy sports bar. For a number of years we personally witnessed excessive noise and drunken behavior (including urinating and vomiting on the street) not in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. This type of behavior caused Manhattan Community Board 1 to refuse to give Buster’s the right to transfer their liquor license to another location in the neighborhood. Based on the Community Board’s past judgment we are gravely concerned that the tenant’s current proposal is not an accurate representation of what will ultimately become part of our building.

The owner of the space has informed us that the tenant’s plan is not to recreate Buster’s but rather to bring to the neighborhood another “classy” family restaurant. However, based on the history of the tenant in the neighborhood, the desire to install multiple televisions and a satellite dish, the number of bar and high–top seating proposed, and wording in the lease to “close the windows after 11:00 P.M.” we strongly believe that this establishment is going to be a loud bar with the focus being more on the televisions and drinking than fine dining. Beyond that, word of mouth in the neighborhood is that there is a clone of Buster’s coming to the
Atalanta.

As it stands now, there are already a number of drinking establishments within 500 feet of our building (e.g. Walker’s, The Brandy Library, Bubby’s, Bubble Lounge, Cercle Rouge, Tribeca Tavern, Anotheroom), and the last thing we need is to have an additional source of providing alcohol. Our building is inhabited by many young families and children, and we feel another establishment with a liquor license would adversely affect our quality–of–life.

Further, because of the building’s proximity to the NYPD First Precinct and Hook & Ladder 8, we’re concerned that an alteration in traffic patterns that was so evident at Buster’s Garage would have a profound effect on the ability for police and fire to protect our citizens.

We would like to stop this possible tenant from going forward with a liquor license and opening this type of establishment in our building. Any help or guidance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. As a building, we are prepared to voice our opinion in whatever forum you provide. If possible, I would appreciate your feedback on how we can further protest this situation moving ahead.

Thank you in advance for your assistance on this issue.
YOUR NAME

Fight Buster's Facts

2007-12-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Fact Sheet:
- 200 Water Group LLC (“200 Water”) the owner/operator of Buster’s Garage, has signed a 15-year lease in the retail space of 25 N Moore (The Atalanta) for the purposes of opening up a “family bistro.”
- The retail space was purchased from the building’s sponsor earlier this year by a 3rd party, Robert Golden of Golden Properties Group, LLC
- 200 Water is operated by Ross Provenzano, whose family owns the property on which the old Buster’s Garage sat
- The new establishment is unnamed as of this time, and is looking to open around March or April 2008.
- 200 Water received a unanimous recommendation for approval from Community Board #1 (CB1) in November, which is the first step in receiving their liquor license from the State Liquor Authority. No residents were aware of the vote, and therefore no one was there to oppose.
- CB1 previously denied transfer of their liquor license to a Franklin Street address after losing their West Broadway lease.
- 200 Water sought to have operating hours till 4am. CB1 denied the request and is allowing operations until midnight on weekdays and 2am on weekends.
- 200 Water has filed for their liquor license from the State Liquor Authority this week.
- Rusty Schultz, the General Manager of the space, claims that the goal is to provide “a family of four a good meal for under $100.”
- The establishment has a capacity of 98 people. In an architectural drawing that was presented to the Board, there were 30 bars seats and approximate 20 “high-top” seats at banquet tables. There were only 44 seats at “low” tables, most of which were depicted as “2-tops.”
- We have anecdotally have heard that 200 Water is planning on installing multiple televisions, with the largest one measuring 70”. They have also discussed installation of a satellite dish on our roof, which requires a board approval.