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State Licenses and Permits
250 Park Avenue South – THESSABUL LLC d/b/a “BARBOUNIA” Alteration to add sidewalk café to liquor license
WHEREAS, The applicants and owners (Thessabul LLC), Danielle Billera, Matthew Johnson and Simon Oren, have applied for an alteration to add a sidewalk café to the on-premises liquor license at 250 Park Avenue South (formerly "Patria" Restaurant); andWHEREAS, The restaurant has been in operation since November 2005; and
WHEREAS, The Board, being sensitive to the needs and concerns of both resident and business owners in this area, recommended against the liquor license (see attached resolution) for these applicants in March of 2005 because the following conditions were not agreed to by the applicants at that time:
• limit the restaurant's capacity to 170
• use the basement only for storage
• not have French doors or windows that open onto
the street
• not apply for a sidewalk café
• not sell their premises without first notifying the
Community Board; if the premises are to be sold, the
buyers will submit themselves to the Board for
approval – such action/application shall be treated as
a new entity; and
WHEREAS, Pedestrian concentration and noise on the sidewalks, particularly this location, have been a major concern in addition to the other existing conditions residents, property owners and businesses in this area are suffering from i.e.; crowds, litter, vehicular congestion etc.; and
WHEREAS, The sidewalk café would include 13 tables (2 seats each) with 7 tables on Park Avenue South and 6 on 20th Street; and
WHEREAS, The French doors and windows will open onto the street; and
WHEREAS, There are at least 11 other liquor license establishments within 500' of this establishment and while Park Avenue South appears to be a commercial strip, it is now becoming even more residential due to changes in city zoning and is in fact in the middle of an area that is primarily residential in character, with a substantial number of residences on the Avenue, and even more on side streets, including the historically significant Gramercy Park neighborhood; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the alteration to add a sidewalk cafe to the on-premises liquor license for Thessabul LLC, d/b/a "Barbounia," located at 250 Park Avenue South because it is not in the public interest to add to the already existing pedestrian concentration and noise that a sidewalk café will bring.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 22 in favor, 2 opposed, 1 abstention.