May 15, 2008
Union Hall Wins Over the Board at Borough Hall
Photo by Bryan Bruchman.
At last night's full Community Board Six Meeting in Borough Hall, passionate outcries were heard once again arguing over the motion to recommend against the renewal of Union Hall's liquor license. However, this time the loud voices were not coming from angry neighbors, but rather Board members themselves, speaking one after the next in favor of the Union Hall's continued presence in Park Slope. The CB6 not only rejected the motion put forth last week by Board member (and Brazen Head bar owner) Lou Sones, but overwhelmingly passed a new motion to take an official stance supporting Union Hall's liquor license renewal when it comes up before the SLA on May 31st.
Photos by Bryan Bruchman.
Jon Crow was on hand watching the dissolution of his longstanding smear campaign against the bar--including a fake 911 call caught on tape and put up on You Tube. That video was cited by Board Members who said that angry neighbors "have not been fair to the owners" and "are out for blood." Crow's presence at the meeting was limited to passing a note to Sones during the debate and then standing at the meeting's end and shouting "I demand my time!" only to be soundly rejected by the Board.
Union Hall's staff and a fair amount of its clientele showed up in force this time around: cheering loudly as they watched the tables turn in their favor, booing Sones and the emotional statement he read about both him and his bar being "threatened", and finally staging a victory celebration on Borough Hall's steps after the vote with picket signs in hand as they cheered Union Hall's owners upon their exit out of the proceedings.
The Union Hall owners told Gothamist that not only would they continue to reach out to their neighbors by now holding open forum monthly meetings, but will also in all likelihood concede to the residents' biggest demand, that the bar shut its doors earlier on weekday nights. The owners said that they felt the complaint was more than fair and simply wished for the ability to make their own hours instead of having it dictated to them as part of a new license. Their efforts have been documented thus far here and here.
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Looking forward to extended coverage of what transpired at meetings of Community Boards 1 through 5.
Oh wait, no I'm not.
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Nelson Muntz to Roberta Lehrner, Jon Crow, and Lou Sones: ha-HAH!
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Amazing. The Union Hall owners could have rubbed it in Crow's face, but instead offer to be even more accommodating.
Glad to see CB6 is a lot more sane than the fools who ran the dog and pony show last week.
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hooray!
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this is stupid decision. not every damn neighborhood needs a loud bar in it. some neighborhoods are for people with jobs who sleep at night, the hipsters (like the dude with the beard) should move to williamsburg if they want a bar on every corner.
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Or maybe, Zodak, if you don't like all types of people (even some who like to be out at 11 on a Thursday night, God forbid!), New York is not the place for you.
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Post #5 - Maybe you should move to Long Island.
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Sounds like much ado about nothing. In the end the bar's owners and the neighbors worked it out. They couldn't have had a sit-down two weeks ago?
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I'm with the Village Voice, bring back heroin and give the Liquor Lords who have the entire city council in their pocket a run for their money.
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I have a beard, live on a noisy block, have a newborn who doesn't want me to sleep, and still wake up at 6 for work....it's life...live it. A bar in your neighborhood is a small deal in the big picture...of course, i also love to drink my face off from time to time.
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sorry 6 & 7, i'm one of those rude natives who understand the concept of neighborhoods. i'm not dumb enough to move into a noisy neighborhood, the problem is when bars move into quiet neighborhoods. like i said, not every neighborhood should have a galapagos or pacha or sofa lounge.
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Truth won out. While some may not like the bar/venue, it has a right to be there given the zoning and the overall community input.
The hostility, harassment, and antisocial behavior demonstrated by Crow and his cohorts exposed them for what they are: stubborn killjoys unable to compromise, negotiate, and recognize the changes within the neighborhood, the community, and the kinds of businesses that thrive there because of those changes.
Park Slope as a quiet 'mommy' block is an anachronism: families, students, and artists pound the pavement day and night. The era of Park Slope as a silent oasis from the rest of Brooklyn, or Manhattan, is ended.
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Quiet neighborhoods? I'm guessing then that you don't live anywhere near UH or ground zero for this debate. It's right near the corner of 5th Ave., a very busy commercial strip.
So, enjoy your "quiet neighborhood", wherever that is.
Of course, you've also missed the point, which is that UH have been responsible neighbors and has tried to work with those on the block. But a few killjoy cranks with apparently nothing to do with their lives led a campaign of disinformation to try and shut down a legitimate and legal business. Thankfully, CB6 members were smart enough to squash these fools.
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I don't live in PS, but there sure are a lot of trolls sponsored by UH on this blog for the past week.
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"thefacts" .... I've read your posts. I've read your username.
And I've decided that you're kind of obnoxious.
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Sinisterteashop, for the win.
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FOR ZODAK...
1. I am the "bearded hipster" you were referring to
2. your comment starts: "this is stupid decision".. your grammar sucks my fucking butthole
3. i live in carroll gardens, not williamsburg
4. your mother is a fucking hipster
5. i have 4 jobs.. how many do you have?
6. i'm working class and enjoy a good night's sleep too
7. if some conservative douchebag pussies (like you) were trying to close down your place of employment, wouldn't you fight against it??? p.s. if you don't like noise, why don't you move your muffin ass to kansas, fuckface