New liquor laws to help communities

Bars and other liquor serving establishments seeking licenses may have a tougher time due to new legislation from the State Senate sponsored by Senator Frank Padavan.
The State Senate passed two bills last month aimed at strengthening New York State's liquor laws following months of hearings by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) taskforce last year. The taskforce's mission was to recommend ways to make on-premise licensing more effective. The legislation seeks to curb the rise of bars in New York City neighborhoods and give communities more say on the issue.
&#8220I am hopeful that we will continue to reform state liquor laws by further empowering the SLA and providing community groups with the tools they need to curb the prolific and troubling rise of bars and liquor-serving establishments in our community,” Padavan said.
One bill requires the SLA to develop a universal procedure for applying for a liquor license. There currently exists no standard procedure for doing so, leading to establishments submitting incomplete or incorrect information, he said.
&#8220By establishing one uniform standard for all applicants for a liquor license we would not only be eliminating confusion in the current system, we would also streamline the process so that local governments and community boards will have access to concise and accurate information when it comes to the proposed establishment's impact on the community,” Padavan said.
The second bill seeks to strengthen the existing 200-foot rule, also spearheaded by Padavan. This measure prohibits licensed liquor establishments from being situated within 200 feet of buildings used exclusively as schools or houses of worship. The new legislation clarifies how to measure this distance and determine the use of buildings.
But not all groups are gung-ho about legislating new liquor laws. Chuck Hunt, executive vice president of the Greater New York City Chapters of the New York State Restaurant Association, said such bills are unnecessary.
&#8220Senator Padavan for some reason has been a zealot in making our laws more difficult,” Hunt said. &#8220I think the regulations in place for the sale and service of alcoholic beverages are more than adequate, and if they're properly enforced, I don't think it's necessary for additional legislations.”
Padavan also pushed for $700,000 from the state for nine additional SLA investigators that will be stationed throughout New York City and charged with enforcing liquor laws.
Brian Simmons, a bartender at Callaghan's on 45-08 Parsons Boulevard in Flushing, said important issues besides licensing that impact communities tend to be overlooked.
&#8220There appears to be no community standard in the decoration outside a bar,” he said. &#8220Sign permits, windows completely blacked out, price gouging - that seems to go completely under the radar. I try to operate a fairly honest business over here and that's getting harder and harder.”