By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — A Flatiron nightclub's liquor license should be revoked after a double murder last month, neighbors ruled.
But Community Board 5's decision might not hold enough weight with the state to shut it down.
The board voted Thursday to deny Roam NYC’s liquor license renewal amid complaints of noise from neighbors and concerns that owner Raymond Lin had too little control over the club.
The review was prompted by an incident in the early morning hours of October 4, when two Brooklyn gang members were shot in the head in an SUV after they left the high-end club at 5 East 19th St.
Residents warned the club attracted the wrong types of people and threatened that violence would strike again if its doors stayed open.
But Lin defended himself, arguing the killings were an isolated incident that could not be blamed on him. While he said he relies heavily on outside promoters who plan and advertise events, he maintained that he only used reputable promoters vetted by his staff.
But the board disagreed, voting overwhelmingly to deny the license, which would effectively shut Lin down.
"We find him [Lin] to be an absentee… owner not befitting a liquor license," board member Karen Pedrazzi read from the resolution.
Lin’s attorney, Glenn Wright, slammed the decision as unfair.
"This allegation that my client is an absentee owner is pure speculation. Use of promoters is consistent with prevailing industry standards and is fully compliant with the law," he said, adding that the club's license would never have been questioned had the murders not occurred.
But Lin may not have to pack away the bottles just yet, thanks to the New York State Liquor Authority, which has the ultimate say on permit decisions.
In order to deny a renewal, the agency typically needs to see police complaints and other evidence of allegations, said Michael Jones, deputy chief executive officer of the SLA, who oversees city approvals.
"We usually need proven charges to deny someone's renewal," Jones said, adding that "Once they have the license, it’s pretty difficult to take it away."
Detective Michael Hnatko, from the 13th Precinct, said in its four years of operation, police had never had a problem with the club.
The SLA has one pending charge on record against Roam for an unlicensed security guard and a complaint about a former co-owner no longer on the lease, but otherwise their record is clean, Jones said,
"There's nothing there regarding what the community is complaining about," he said.
As a result, he said, it's unlikely a club with a history like Roam's would be denied.
