On Dec. 15, outgoing Council Member Robert Holden made a public call for the City to address “illegal or unlicensed event venues” that allegedly operate well over capacity and have drawn a significant number of 311 noise complaints ahead of New Year’s Eve, the holiday notorious for large and late-running parties.
According to Holden’s office, Lottus Event Center, located at 63-01 Fresh Pond Rd., is the greatest offender and hosted four separate events in the last month that broke regulations.
“These alleged illegal venues are not just a nuisance; they are a real public safety concern,” said Holden. “Time and again, we see what can happen when purportedly unregulated event spaces operate without proper oversight. Noise complaints escalate, overcrowding creates chaos, and in some cases, the consequences are tragic. Residents in my district are fed up and rightfully concerned. I will not tolerate this, and I know my successor Phil Wong will not tolerate it either.”
Holden’s office communicated with departments across the city, such as the NYPD, the Office of Nightlife, the Department of Buildings (DOB), FDNY and more about Lottus and several other properties in District 30: 70-01 Forrest Ave., 61-18 Myrtle Ave., and 75-47 Metropolitan Ave. The task force would comprise representatives from all of these departments, as well as the State Liquor Authority and Sheriff’s office to investigate venues like these for the purposes of “enforcement and accountability” for repeat offenders.
“Lottus Event Center at 6301 Fresh Pond Rd is at it again with another incredibly loud event that we can clearly hear from blocks away. Bass so loud and low that we can feel it, so earplugs and noise machines are no use,” wrote one user on Ridgewood’s subreddit. “I’ve tried playing nice and contacting them so many times and they just do not give a **** about the people who actually live and have families in the surrounding area.”
Purportedly, several events also occurred during the daytime and were attended by 300+ people or over 3x the current legal limit of 74. Lottus Event Center specializes in events for Latin Americans, with a Nov. 28 concert featuring several Latin artists being one of the events that Holden claims violated the building’s code and event regulations.
While no violent altercations or illegal acts during said events at Lottus or the other locations are known, Holden’s team worries for public safety and cited several incidents in recent years where venues were the site of mass shootings, such as one spot in Brooklyn and another in Forest Hills. However, the DOB conducted an investigation on Nov. 29, during one of these events to find the space contained well over 74 people and had arranged seating for up to 150, issuing two violations:
- Occupancy Contrary to What is Allowed by the Certificate of Occupancy
- Operation of a Place of Assembly Without a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation (PACO)
The PACO allows venues to greatly increase the number of patrons, and would allow Lottus up to 293 as per the certificate of occupancy. The DOB scheduled a hearing in February where the owners can dispute the violations, with each one carrying a standard potential penalty of $2,500, and a maximum potential penalty of $25,000. A representative of Lottus Event Center has not yet responded to comment.
“As soon as I take office, I will carry forward the strong quality of life enforcement efforts Council Member Holden has built with our agencies,” said Council Member-elect Phil Wong. “These venues are disturbing our neighborhoods, endangering the public, and showing complete disregard for the law. This will not continue.”
