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Read the press release here.

Il Sole Liquor License Approved Despite Community Opposition

By Carla Zanoni | February 1, 2011 6:21pm
Il Sole is the only Dyckman Street restaurant with outdoor seating that will not curtail its operating hours as part of an agreement with elected officials to reduce complaints in the area.
Il Sole is the only Dyckman Street restaurant with outdoor seating that will not curtail its operating hours as part of an agreement with elected officials to reduce complaints in the area.
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Yelp/Claudio S.

By Carla Zanoni

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

UPPER MANHATTAN — Despite opposition from community residents, elected officials and the local community board, popular Inwood restaurant Il Sole had its liquor license application renewed by the State Liquor Authority on Tuesday.

Il Sole is one of several restaurants officials and community members say have allowed noise and quality of life offenses to rule the night on Dyckman Street over the past several years.

Councilman Robert Jackson and Assemblyman Denny Farrell had banded together in January to pressure the eatery to at least reduce its outdoor hours of operation in an effort to quiet the sometimes-raucous stretch of Dyckman Street Farrell once dubbed "Alcohol Alley."

During its full board meeting on Jan. 24, Community Board 12 voted to advise the SLA against renewing Il Sole's license, unless the restaurant complied with the terms negotiated by the elected officials.

The community board serves an advisory role, but the SLA has final say on liquor license approvals.

Last summer, Jackson and Farrell began their crusade against late-night revelery on Dyckman Street, convincing restaurants Mamajuana and Papasito to close their summertime outdoor seating an hour earlier, at 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Neighboring restaurant Mama Sushi also agreed to the same terms, according to Jackson's office.

Il Sole's Owner Sandra Jaquez did not respond to calls for comment, but told elected officials last summer that closing early would negatively affect her bottom line, they said.

Now that the restaurant's liquor license has been approved, Jackson's next recourse is to attempt to convince his Council colleagues to reject the restaurant's sidewalk cafe license renewal, which is up for discussion on Wednesday.

Although CB12 voted in favor of the restaurant's sidewalk café license renewal last October, Jackson said he would only support the board's vote in the City Council if Jaquez complied with proposed changes requested by himself and Farrell.

Jackson plans to ask for Il Sole's outdoor seating license renewal to be rejected at a City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, according to his office.

"Councilman Jackson is not interested in punishing anyone or hurting anyone's pockets," Juan Rosa, community liaison for Jackson, wrote in an email, "but he is deeply committed to creating better quality of life conditions in the Dyckman Street dining corridor."

"We're interested in having small business do well, but we're also interested in everyone having a good night's sleep," Rosa later added.