January/February Liquor License Requests

Welcome to another new feature on Sheepshead Bites. Every month, Community Board 15 announces the list of businesses requesting permission to sell wine, liquor, and/or beer. The Community Board is tasked with advising the New York State Liquor Authority on whether or not these establishments should be granted a permit, based on community complaints.

So far, the process for complaining isn’t very public. If you’re one of the couple dozen who attend a Community Board meeting, you can raise your hand and state your objection. Or you can call the Community Board, if you’re one of the few that realize the board has a hand in such matters. Or you can call 311 and be forgotten. None of the complaints reach a wider audience.

As such, the Liquor Authority has gone about ignoring the recommendations of local Community Boards throughout the city. Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo stated at the last meeting that the Authority has approved every single application from our district during her tenure, despite complaints from the community.

So what we propose is this: every month we will publish the list of applicants. If you live near one of these establishments and alcohol sales cause a problem to you and your neighbors (noise, violence, underage drinking), let us know in the comments section. Let’s make complaints public. When the Liquor Authority continues to act like it knows more about our community than we do, the arrogance will be evident to all. Only then can we put an end to it and be heard.