Know The Facts About Nanny Goat Hill Before Tonight’s Community Board Hearing

Many neighbors are likely aware by now of Nanny Goat Hill, the restaurant and bar proposed for 1238 Prospect Avenue by Juice Box Wine & Spirits partners Jane Miller Rennert and Jeremiah Fox. Ahead of a Community Board 7 hearing on the restaurant’s liquor license application (6:30pm this evening at the Windsor Terrace Kings Bay Y, 1224 Prospect Avenue on the corner of Vanderbilt Street), we checked in with Jane about some of the restaurant’s finer details, opposition from parts of the community, and what Nanny Goat Hill is doing to ensure a positive environment for all neighbors.

While a pop-up version of Nanny Goat Hill seemed to be well received by many locals and critics back in 2011, the restaurant eventually split with Crossroads Cafe where it was being held, noting in a goodbye letter that it was looking for a full time venue. Since then, Crossroads has closed, and Jane and Jeremiah are now hoping to make Nanny Goat Hill a permanent fixture on Prospect Avenue between Vanderbilt Street and Reeve Place, to serve lunch and dinner from noon to 11pm daily.

Nanny Goat Hill’s proposed menu, to be finalized

Jane says her proposal for Nanny Goat Hill has received incredible support from the community, but there are some locals opposing the restaurant’s application for a liquor license. “This establishment does not fit in with the quiet, family oriented block,” says a petition opposing Nanny Goat Hill’s request. “This establishment will be in violation of the 200 ft rule, because it is within 200 ft of 2 pre-schools, as well as a children’s dance studio & child development center. Also, the building is in poor condition unsuitable for a wine bar/café/restaurant: there is no sound-proofing, and there is no fire wall to protect the neighbors from noise & fire. The wine bar/café/restaurant plans utilize the backyard for outdoor seating this will affect all of the neighbors on Prospect Ave. between Vanderbilt & Greenwood.”

Jane points out, however, that the 200 foot rule mentioned in the petition only applies to public and private elementary, middle, and high schools–not preschools or recreational establishments for kids. Jane says Cynthia King, with whom her daughter takes dance classes, is one of several local businesses owners and neighbors who have written letters of support for Nanny Goat Hill–alongside One World Preschool director Joanne Derwin.

“I am part of the Windsor Terrace community and I love living here,” Jane says in a letter to Community Board 7, expressing how glad she has been over her decade in the neighborhood to see more and more local restaurants and other businesses open. “My family frequents Brooklyn Commune and Le Paddock and we are kept healthy with a steady supply of green juice and smoothies from Juice Pedaler. My middle schooler and his friends often meet up at Juice Pedaler, Uncle Louis G’s or Bene and I rest easy knowing they are safe in these neighborhood places.”

While Jane says in the letter she loves how family-oriented Windsor Terrace is…

“Before I moved to Windsor Terrace I did not realize this type of community existed in New York City. I feel so grateful to have found a place to live and raise my family that is so close knit and community oriented. We have met so many wonderful people here who provide a truly incredible network of support and friendship.”

… she also acknowledges that Prospect Avenue is one of the neighborhood’s strips zoned specifically for businesses, and expresses that more small businesses serve to make a healthier, more enriched neighborhood.

“I understand other new eating and drinking places are opening on Prospect Ave. and on Prospect Park West and I cannot wait to try them,” her letter continues. “I am opening this restaurant because I am passionate about food and dining and because I want to do business in my own community.”

As for fire and noise concerns, Jane says she and Jeremiah are working diligently with their architect Eric Safyan to ensure the safest and fairest environment for patrons, staff, and neighbors. She says they plan to install electric and induction cooking appliances to reduce the risk of fire, as well as 10 inch thick ceiling spray foam and 3 inch thick party wall spray foam for soundproofing and to provide insulation from fire. To address any other concerns with the building’s condition, the Nanny Goat Hill crew has enlisted the help of engineer Andrew Goodrich and real estate consultant/violation removal expeditor Mark Hertz.

And finally, Jane says that while Nanny Goat Hill hopes to use the backyard for seating at some point, that would likely not start until their second year of business. And even then, she says, “We are very conscious of not creating any disturbances to our neighbors. We will always listen to any concerns that arise from use of the outdoor space and from the restaurant in general.”

Floor plan for Nanny Goat Hill

It’s a tough call–while a new food and drink option sounds delicious to us, we feel for the neighbors concerned about noise and safety issues. We asked Lauren Elvers-Collins, Executive Director of the Church and Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement Districts who lives down the block from 1238 Prospect Avenue, to weigh in on the matter.

“I need to see their plan for it–hours, construction timetable, whether it’s going to be a bar, etcetera–before I can know whether I think it’s a good thing,” Lauren says. “I lived over a restaurant years ago and there was a noise issue, but I believe that these guys are addressing this in advance.

“That said, Juice Box is the kind of business I like to have in my BIDs because they keep their exterior clean, have friendly staff, and seem to be respectful of the neighborhood–and they do excellent holiday window decorations! I think they’re successful, and we like having a shop like this so close by. I live right around the corner and pass it all the time, and I’ve never seen anything negative.”

While the petition opposing a liquor license for Nanny Goat Hill has obtained about 20 signatures, Jane says Nanny Goat Hill’s own petition has obtained about 400–many from people who live on the blocks specified in the opposing petition.

Where do you stand on Nanny Goat Hill? Show us your vote below, and if you have any other thoughts, be sure to leave them in the comments–and if you’d like to learn more, attend the Community Board hearing at 6:30pm tonight.

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Top photo via Nanny Goat Hill