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State Licenses and Permits
5 East 19th Street (B/way and 5th), SS 5 EAST 19TH STREET, INC. D/B/A/ ROAM - application for the renewal of an on-premises liquor license
WHEREAS, Raymond Lin, on behalf of SS 5 East 19th Street, Inc. ("Applicant"), has notified Community Board Five of the Applicant's intention to apply for renewal of an on premises liquor license for the ground bar/lounge known as "Roam" located at 5 East 19th Street (between Broadway and 5th), New York, New York (the "Premises"); and
WHEREAS, The Premises consists of approximately 3,000 square feet on the ground floor and basement of the Premises; and
WHEREAS, The Premises is operated exclusively as a bar/lounge with approximately 17 tables and 56; and
WHEREAS. The total capacity of the Premises is 187; and
WHEREAS, The Premises includes 2 patron bars and no service bars; and
WHEREAS, The hours of operation of the Premises are 5:00 PM to 4:00 AM seven nights a week; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Lin is a principal and licensee at another operation called "The Gates" located at 290 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York, which establishment has been a problematic operation and the subject of enforcement action by the police and the SLA, and the licensee of which is in the process of surrendering its liquor license in anticipation of revocation or fines and other penalties; and
WHEREAS, Raymond Lin was before Community Board Five in January of 2010 as the applicant for the transfer of the on premises liquor license for another operation known as "Retreat" located at 37 West 17th Street, New York, New York, which application was denied by CB5, in part because of Mr. Lin's problematic history of operation at The Gates and Roam; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Lin has a pending transferee application for Retreat before the SLA, and when asked the status, he was not able to explain, stating it is complicated, and Retreat has been one of the most problematic operations in CB5; and
WHEREAS, Rather than being operated and controlled by the licensee, The Gates, Retreat, and Roam all use party promoters almost exclusively to operate the venues; and
WHEREAS, Members of the community reported a serious and significant adverse impact on the community by Roam; and
WHEREAS, The Applicant was asked if he would agree to stipulations similar to those other applicants have agreed to, including a limitation on hours of operation and use of promoters, and the Applicant refused; and
WHEREAS, Based on the history of problems at establishments operated by Mr. Lin, including at Roam, we find Mr. Lin an absentee and negligent operator not worthy of the privilege of holding a license to serve liquor in the State of New York; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends denial of the application by SS 5 East 19th Street, Inc. for renewal of an on premises liquor license for the ground bar/lounge known as "Roam" located at 5 East 19th Street, New York, New York.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 30 in favor; 4 opposed; 1 abstaining.