By Alex Davidson
Neighbors of a Kew Gardens Caribbean-themed nightclub say they have had enough of late-night noise, brawls and traffic jams caused by patrons who sometimes leave the club as late as 3 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
“You see the DJ’s coming in at 9 p.m. and you know that it’s going to be a long night,” said Natalie Reid, a seven-year resident of an apartment complex directly across from the nightclub called Coconuts at 120-29 83rd Ave. “It started harmlessly (with the noise) and then escalated from there.”
Reid said there have been several instances in which she called the police to come and take care of the patrons who were either fighting, arguing or smashing out neighborhood store windows.
“It’s the alcohol — they’re all drinking too much,” she said. “Whatever problems go on in the restaurant spill out into the street.”
Residents attempted to stop the renewal of the liquor license for Coconuts at the Oct. 8 Community Board 9 meeting but were told by Community Board Chairman Paul Sapienza that the board could not take action against renewals. He said the board was only able to make recommendations to state officials on the outcome of Coconuts’ request for a renewed liquor license.
Jay Chatarpaul, owner of Coconuts, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
A spokesman for the 102nd Precinct said police could not address specific complaints about noise. He did say, however, that police have the power to issue summonses to force a store owner or resident to stop making the excessive noise.
“For noise complaints, though, there’s always time to correct yourself,” the spokesman said
A police spokesman at the Manhattan headquarter said that unless a summons is issued against a specific business or person, the NYPD has no way to verify the number of times units were called to the scene for noise complaints.
But Frank Alberti, a lifelong resident of Kew Gardens who has lived across from Coconuts for 10 years, said noise is not the only problem with the nightclub.
“It’s beyond noise, there is a real physical safety factor,” he said. “You can’t say (the owner) is insensitive, but he’s not taking care of the measures.”
Alberti said Chatarpaul, promised in a September 2001 letter to add security personnel and enforce strict guidelines on patron behavior outside the nightclub.
“As a business owner, I know I have a responsibility to the neighborhood in which I do business,” the letter read. “Believe me! I go through many sleepless nights and periods of stress whenever we have any altercations in Coconuts.”
Chatarpaul wrote that he hired bouncers to keep outside noise levels to a minimum and prevent patrons from taking beer bottles outside the club. He said he spent all his money to renovate and operate the nightclub, the letter states.
“I don’t have any other business. My parents have also given me their life’s savings to complete renovation of this place,” he wrote. “If Coconuts does not succeed, we all lose — not just our money, but all our efforts, hard work and labor (my family and I did most of the renovation).”
He also wrote that he did not intend for Coconuts to become a nightclub. He said he was forced to incorporate late-night music parties to increase profits and business to help his business survive and pay its bill.
Area business owners, not just residents, have also been complaining about Coconuts.
Shop owner Jennifer Yu, who owns a shirt laundry service on the corner of 83rd Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, said her store had been attacked by patrons after they left the club. She said patrons regularly leave beer bottles in front of her store any day of the week.
“They broke the windows,” she said of an incident that occurred this summer where people leaving Coconuts broke an entrance window next to the front door. “Men also lean on the windows and set off the alarm, so I have to come out at 2 a.m. to turn it off.”
Reach reporter Alex Davison by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 156.
