S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2777--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 23, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SEPULVEDA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Economic Development -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to establish a demonstration program authorizing the community
board for community board district 12 in the city of New York to apply
to the state liquor authority for the establishment of an up to 1 year
moratorium during which no licenses for sale of alcoholic beverages
for on-premises consumption shall be issued to certain premises within
certain areas of such district; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that the
increasingly high concentration of bars located within portions of
community board district 12, in the borough of Manhattan and city of New
York, an area north of 155th Street in such borough, and the rapidly
increasing number of such establishments being located in portions of
such district that are near residential and other non-commercial areas
is detrimental to the quality of life of residents of that district.
Further, that the establishment of such bars has substantially increased
the incidence of violent crime, personal injuries, the level of property
damage and vandalism, reduced quality of life within the community, and
created a shortage of parking for local residents.
Therefore the legislature determines that the establishment of a
demonstration program authorizing the community board for community
board district 12 of the city of New York to petition the state liquor
authority to temporarily deny the issuance of new licenses for the sale
of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption to certain premises
located in select areas that have a high and over concentration of simi-
lar premises in such district. Furthermore, the establishment of such
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00038-04-7
A. 2777--A 2
demonstration program provides the legislature, the state liquor author-
ity, the mayor of the city of New York and the community board for
community district 12 of the city of New York with the opportunity to
analyze issues surrounding the over concentration of bars in certain
select areas within the community board district 12, and to establish
statutory and regulatory solutions to such issues.
§ 2. For the purposes of this act:
(a) "Authority" means the state liquor authority as continued pursuant
to section 10 of the alcoholic beverage control law.
(b) "Board" means the community board for community board district 12
in the city of New York.
(c) "District" means community board district 12 in the city of New
York.
(d) "License applicant" means an applicant for an initial license to
sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption in the district
where the premises to be licensed is within 400 feet of two or more
premises that are so licensed, and where 65 percent or less of the
anticipated receipts from the operation of the premises are to be
derived from the sale of food or such premises has a legal occupancy
capacity of 75 persons or more.
§ 3. There shall be established a demonstration program providing, at
the option of the board, for the institution of an up to one year mora-
torium prohibiting the initial issuance of licenses to sell alcoholic
beverages for on-premises consumption in certain select areas of the
district to license applicants. Such moratorium shall not apply to any
other applicant for a license pursuant to the alcoholic beverage control
law.
§ 4. The board shall only commence action to petition the authority
for an up to one year moratorium on the granting licenses to sell alco-
holic beverages for on-premises consumption to license applicants upon
receipt of a petition therefor signed by not less than 1,000 residents
of the district. Upon receipt of such residents' petition, the board
shall review it as to form and completeness, and then may accept the
petition if it is deemed to be valid. Upon acceptance of the residents'
petition, the board shall within 90 days consider such petition for an
up to one year moratorium, and shall either approve or reject it. If
the petition is approved and adopted, the board shall file a copy of the
petition with an accompanying resolution from the board requesting such
moratorium with the authority and the authority shall for a period of up
to one year following such filing, deny the applications of license
applicants in those select areas identified in such resolution.
Provided that notwithstanding such moratorium all applications for
licenses under the alcoholic beverage control law shall continue to be
accepted by the board pursuant to section 110-b of such law during such
moratorium. Provided, further, that upon the expiration of a moratorium
pursuant to this section, a second up to one year moratorium may be
imposed utilizing the same process established by this section.
§ 5. Upon the establishment of a moratorium pursuant to section four
of this act, the board, in conjunction with the authority shall conduct
public hearings and community forums in the district and shall accept
comments and testimony on the issue of the over concentration of bars in
those select areas identified in the district. Such comments and testi-
mony may include issues surrounding the problems arising therefrom and
the types of premises licensed to sell alcoholic beverages which cause
problems within the district, the affect of current land use law on the
over concentration of bars within the areas which are the subject of
A. 2777--A 3
such hearing and community forums, and other courses of action that the
authority and the city of New York may take to help mitigate the adverse
affects caused by the over concentration of such bars. Upon the conclu-
sion of all such hearings and forums, the board shall compile a report
on the testimony and comments made during the hearing and forums, and
the board's findings and recommendations on necessary changes to state
law, rules and regulations, the administrative code of the city of New
York, and in local and land use laws to address the problems in the
district related to the over concentration of such bars in the areas
within the district identified. Such report shall be filed with the
governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the
assembly, the mayor of the city of New York and the authority. Such
moratorium shall remain in effect until 180 days after such report has
been so filed, or 550 days after the start of the moratorium, whichever
shall be later.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately, and shall expire and be
deemed repealed June 30, 2020.