Yesterday, the Lo-Down and the Local East Village brought word that after five months of heated debate, Community Board 3, in its “most important vote ever,” decided to change its policy on liquor license transfers. Before, the transfer of a liquor license from one owner to another (whenever a bar was sold) wasn’t given quite so much scrutiny — now they’ll be considered as if they were brand-new applications, something bar owners say will hurt their chances of selling their establishments. Meanwhile, on the Upper West Side, Community Board 8 has approved the renewal of a dozen hot-dog vendors around Central Park, but voted against a proposal to install gourmet food vendors at two Central Park locations.
A committee member explains to Our Town that the new breed of food carts (including trucks, presumably) are just too ugly: “The issue has to do with the visual blight. They’re not just the cute little outdoor stands that people are familiar with; they’re big bulky structures that have designs on them. [There’s] the possibility of using techniques for cooking that could be polluting if not noisy.” Parks Department, if you’re reading this: Maybe put the Paty’s Taco Truck at 80th Street and Central Park West? Are ya feelin’ it?
Board Overhauls Liquor License Process [Local East Village/NYT]
CB3 Approves New Liquor Licensing Rules [Lo-Down]
Gourmet Food Vendors Shot Down by CB8 [Our Town via Gothamist]
