Next month the community board that covers North Brooklyn is expected to vote on a moratorium on new liquor licenses in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Board chairman Christopher Olechowski tells the Wall Street Journal, "We feel that the community is over inundated with the bars and it's becoming not only a quality of life issue but it's a safety hazard. Too much of a good thing starts turning into something that turns counterproductive for a community. Where are we going with this?" Good question—we were thinking first The Diamond, then The Gutter, then maybe the late night happy hour at The Soft Spot, followed by Lucky Dog, and shots at The Woods? And guess what? The State Liquor Authority isn't going to stand in our staggering, loudmouthed way.
SLA spokesman William Crowley has gone on record saying a moratorium is totally out of the question. In the East Village and Tribeca, the local community boards have greatly influenced the SLA with their recommendations, which are not binding but tend to be respected by the SLA. (See Death & Company.) But while the SLA usually complies with community board votes restricting, for instance, the hours of operation for a new bar, the SLA isn't on board with a complete moratorium.
"We can't do a moratorium, we don't think we can legally do them," Crowley tells the Journal. "The courts have told us we can't just do a blanket denial for a whole class of licenses whether it be an area or a specific type of license." Coming as this does on the heels of the Williamsburg Waterfront concerts proceeding against the CB 1's will, you've got to wonder: Is the board's empire crumbling?! Now's the time to ram some more bike lanes and Bedford Avenue street fairs down their throats!
