N E I G H B O R S A S S O C I A T I O N ( L I N A )
b i g w i n b e f o r e t h e S L A
A sizeable contingent of LINA members and
neighborhood friends as well as representatives of Community Board 2 and our elected officials, turned
out at the Full Board Hearing of the NY State Liquor Authority to oppose granting a full liquor license to 229 Elizabeth St. Corp. (the Rialto owners) for Cafe Habana (formerly Bella's). The SLA board disapproved the
license. This was our second victory in stopping a license the community did not want.
LINA will continue negotiations with the owners to resolve existing
problems, and discuss the issue of their applying for a wine and beer
license. We will rely on input and effort from all of you again in this
process. We did win and should celebrate -- but must finish what we have started.
THIS IS A BIG WIN, AND CONGRATULATIONS GO TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY!!
THE SLA IS NOTORIOUSLY PRO-BUSINESS & LIQUOR LICENSE.
YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN BY COMING TO MEETINGS, WRITING MORE THAN 40
INDIVIDUAL LETTERS TO THE SLA AND ALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, SIGNING AND
ORGANIZING PETITIONS, CALLING AGENCIES, AND WRITING AND GIVING TESTIMONY
AT OUR OFFICIALS DESERVE OUR THANKS TOO. REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITY
BOARD TWO, COUNCIL MEMBER KATHRYN FREED, MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT C.
VIRIGINA FIELDS, STATE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER, AND STATE SENATOR
MARTIN CONNOR READ LETTERS ON OUR BEHALF AT ONE OR BOTH SLA HEARINGS.
STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER DEBORAH GLICK, AND I BELIEVE STATE SENATOR
CATHERINE ABATE SENT IN A LETTER OPPOSING THE LICENSE TO THE SLA. THIS
KIND OF SUPPORT IS INVALUABLE.
L.I.N.A. Steering Committee members held meetings, organized petition
pages and material sent to us, and summarized the letters, city violation
and complaint records, analyzed the license application, etc. Two
Steering Committee members spoke as L.I.N.A. representatives.
Stay tuned for a report on our last L.I.N.A. meeting and other news.
SUZANNE WILLIAMSON FOR L.I.N.A.
