War on Fun Breaks Out on DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights Border

By on January 3, 2009 8:30 am in DUMBO, War On Fun
DUMBONYC photo

DUMBONYC photo

Many Brooklyn blogs and media outlets received a dispatch yesterday from a resident at 7 Old Fulton Street, who really, really doesn’t want a new restaurant planned for his building to get a liquor license.  He’s urging residents to go to the CB2 meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at Brooklyn Hospital Center. The full text of the letter after the jump.

I’m writing to let you know about a liquor license hearing that will be taking place next week.

At 7 Old Fulton Street, in DUMBO/Brooklyn Heights Brooklyn, there’s a new restaurant opening at some time in the near future. I live in the same building, so I’ve spoken briefly with the owner of the new restaurant, and he’s told us that it’s going to be a sandwich shop.

The hearing is for a full liquor license to allow them to serve beer, wine, and spirits. I was hoping to let people know about this because I’d imagine locals wouldn’t be too happy about this. I can’t imagine why a little sandwich shop would need a liquor license, and It’s pretty clear that the guy opening this restaurant isn’t much interested in what is good for the neighbourhood. He and his construction crews have been nothing but disruptive to his neighbours, and we’ve had to call 311 countless times to report the unlawful and improper practices going on. It might be different if he were putting in something that people in the area would use, but he’s seemingly just trying to get some business from tourists down by the Fulton Ferry Landing who don’t feel like standing on the Grimaldi’s line.

As a reminder, in the last month, the community board denied a liquor license to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory on Fulton Ferry Landing because they felt it wouldn’t be a great idea to have more alcohol down there with all the tourists and kids everywhere. At present, within a one block radius of 7 Old Fulton Street, there are at least 4 other places with liquor licenses (River Cafe, Pete’s Downtown, Toro Asian, and 5 Front), and I’m not sure about the status of Grimaldi’s.

I represent the residents of this building, and we’d like to let anybody who might be affected by this place getting a liquor license that their liquor license hearing is coming up. Like I said, this guy has been completely indifferent to the needs and concerns of the residents of this building, and I’m pretty convinced that’s how he’ll be with the neighbourhood in general. So we’re going to be opposing his liquor license application, and we wanted to get the word out to anybody else who might be interested in having their voice heard too.

The hearing will take place on Wednesday January 7th, 2009 at 6pm. It is located at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, 121 Dekalb (at Felix), 3rd Floor, Conference Rooms 3A and 3B.

Thanks,

NAME REDACTED BY AUTHOR’S REQUEST, Esq.

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  • C.

    This guy just comes off as a scrooge. He doesn’t explain at all how this guy has been disruptive or inconsiderate. He’s opening up a store! What do you expect? There’s gonna be a little noise. You’re mad ’cause the guys gonna serve a couple of beers? Jeez. Get a life.

  • DT

    Does he really represent all of the building residents? Or does he just think he does? Not saying he doesn’t, but I’m always amazed at how many people think that their neighbors “must” share their opinion, and are completely shocked that others may disagree with them…

    P.S. I love the “Esq” at the end, as if to say, “don’t mess with me – I’m a lawyer”…

  • drb

    I live in the building too, and honestly, I’d be happy to support a liquor license if there were an actual bar opening up–-since moving here, what I’ve felt the neighborhood lacks is a laid-back, cozy bar for locals. But a sandwich shop? With a liquor license? This is not for locals, this is for tourists.

    Of course when a new business is opening there’s going to be noise, and we’re not complaining about the noise in general. But the workers have been working after hours and on weekends, tracked black paint through our hallway (which still has yet to be cleaned) and been smoking on-site, all of which are in violation of basic codes. In addition,they’ve blocked one of our modes of egress with the construction of an A/C vent on our roof. It completely obstructs our path to the neighboring building’s fire escape (which is considered ours, since our building doesn’t have one).

    I think we’d all feel less compelled to fight the liquor license if we’d gotten the impression that the business owner cared about his relationship with his neighbors. But he’s been completely un-responsive to our concerns, which we can only presume will continue once the business is up and running.

  • AEB

    Egregious work habits aside, and in re the liquor license: the nature of the business–a sandwich shop–should encourage nearby residents that unseemly behaviour is LESS likly to occur than if the place were to be a bar.

    I mean, the likelihood of unruliness lessens when booze is on hand to accompany a tuna salad on white toast or burger, for example. Many a Greek diner serves alcohol without the vice squad having to be summoned.

    The wish to derail a liquor license sounds like a bad case of puritanism/paranoia to me.

  • Beavis

    Anyone remember when 7 Old Fulton was a Mafioso cigar bar?

    I liked that place. My overly educated book club would meet there, light some stogies, drink some single malt, pontificate on political economy and oggle the cute waitresses. Ah, the early 90s.

  • Rob Foley

    who can I contact to help support this effort? email me at robertfoley@yahoo.com

  • e.vetere

    I don’t like the practice of posting in public hoping to affect change, anonymously. Anyone making a claim to public choice like this needs to stand behind it.

    For that reason alone – atop, I suppose, his total lack of specificity – I’m inclined to show up at CB2 and _support_ the liquor license application.

    Esquire here shouldn’t run around the back of entrepreneurs, hide your name, offer no details, and expect us to go along with it.

    Incidentally, duder so far also fits in with my stereotype of the worst sort of lawyer – “craven, lacking in principles, utterly oblivious to true right and wrong”

  • bornhere

    Beavis: The cigar bar there was great. We were just talking about it the other night and recalling how we would ask the waitress to bring the drinks and then leave us alone for hours (or until hunger set in). Dining al fresco in that strange lot was so great during the summer. The food was only okay; but there was just something about the place.

  • Beavis

    I was there for the opening night party way back in 199x, and it was like a casting call for Lou Cabrazzi in the Godfather. That place must have been a mob laundering operation.

    But it was well appointed and they made a good burger.

    I’m wondering what Ignacio’s is going to be about. I saw a mini grand piano and finally chairs/tables are set up. Anyone have the 411?

  • bornhere

    Beavis- Get your mobbies right, for heaven’s sake: Luca Brasi.

  • bornhere

    So … it seems the liquor license application was rejected.