SENATOR ESPAILLAT PROPOSES ONE YEAR MORATORIUM ON LIQUOR LICENCES IN INWOOD

(Inwood, Manhattan)-  Today, Thursday October 22nd, State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx) announced that he has called on the  New York State Liquor Authority to stop granting 'on premise' liquor licenses in Inwood for a period of one year, and his intention to introduce legislation to that effect when session resumes. The neighborhood, which is located at the tip of Manhattan, has seen a dramatic uptick in new liquor licenses in recent years. The number of 'on-premise' liquor licenses has jumped from 20, in 2012, to 31 and is on pace to double, from the 2012 level by year's end. With the influx of new bars, Inwood has become one of New York's noisiest neighborhoods based on 311 noise complaint data. 

Senator Espaillat was joined by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and dozens of Inwood business owners and residents earlier today to discuss the importance of balancing economic progress with the concerns of the community.  

"Nightlife has been a great economic boom for Inwood, creating new jobs and opportunities. I am proud of their success but I am also mindful of residents concerns surrounding quality of life issues," said State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx).  "A one year moratorium will allow for all of the stakeholders to come together and find solutions to balance economic growth with the community's concerns."       

"Over the past decade, Dyckman street has set itself apart as a major nightlife destination in Northern Manhattan. Though this has brought great economic benefits to the community, it has also increased concerns with the quality of life in the surrounding area tenfold. In order to reevaluate where we stand and truly engage in a dialogue about the future of the corridor we need to pause the exponential increase we’ve seen in restaurants/clubs. I look forward to working with community stakeholders, the business community and state agencies to ensure best path forward, said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez." 

"We commend Senator Espaillat for acknowledging this crisis. Moving Forward Unidos supports a moratorium on liquor licenses in Inwood. We hope a balance is achieved between the thriving nightlife and the residents' right to a peaceful home life. We applaud those businesses that provide steady quality employment and foster peaceful co-existence. We thank Senator Espaillat for creating this opportunity and look forward to working together," said Nancy Preston, executive director of Moving Forward Unidos.

The proposed moratorium would not impact submitted applications or renewals. Restaurant wine and beer permits would still be permitted. The one year moratorium would only apply to "on-premise" liquor licenses, which the State Liquor Authority refers to as "generally considered to be the standard "bar" license". 

Area of the proposed one year moratorium: