By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — Another business owner fell victim to the backlash against Dyckman Street bars Tuesday night, when a Community Board 12 committee refused to back a juice bar's request to sell beer and wine.
Noemi Gonzalez, owner of Noemi Juice Bar, applied for the liquor license in an attempt to save her business, which she said has tanked during the recession. But she ran into a wall of opposition — from police, residents, elected leaders and community board members — who said Dyckman Street has become overrun with bars.
“As a community board we need to be more strategic around advertising and serving alcohol in that area,” CB12 chair Pamela Palanque-North before the vote. “It feels like a contradiction to say yes to this.”
Neighbors complain about crowds, noise and fights stemming from the street's popular restaurants and bars. Gonzalez's bar would have been the fifth place serving liquor on a one-block strip of Dyckman between Broadway and Seaman, which is an above average number on a residential block like this one.
The committee voted 5-0, with one abstention, against her application. The full board will take up the issue at its general meeting on Sept. 28.
Assemblyman Denny Farrell was among the chorus of opponents who showed up for Tuesday night's vote.
“I feel for this person and know it is a difficult economy, but I get too many calls from people who are being negatively affected by the situation on Dyckman,” Farrell said. “But I really don’t think you should do this with everything you already have going on over there.”
Even with the board’s approval, Gonzalez would need a waiver from the State Liquor Authority’s so-called “500-foot-rule,” which limits its ability to issue liquor licenses when there are existing licensed establishments within 500 feet of the applicant’s location. Each application for a new liquor serving establishment that falls under this rule must be reviewed individually by the SLA, with community input.
Gonzalez said her interest in changing her business model from natural food joint to a restaurant serving beer and wine as she started losing business. She has had to draw from her savings and borrow from family to stay afloat.
Gonzalez said that though she understood the concerns raised by the community, she felt she should not be judged by the behavior of other restaurants in the area.
“I was there before Papasito and Mama Sushi,” she told the committee, referring to two of Dyckman Street's popular restaurants.
After the meeting, she added, “I just want to have my business succeed."
