Nearly six months after turning a dramatic thumbs-downto a new karaoke club/restaurant proposed for the neighborhood, Community Board 10 has expressed support for the establishment, which, in the meantime, has agreed to a laundry list of conditions intended to prevent it from being a burden on the surrounding community.
The board voted to back Crown KTV’s State Liquor Authority (SLA) application during its September general meeting, which was held at Shore Hill, 9000 Shore Road. The board’s approval is conditioned upon the establishment executing a legal document in which all the conditions are stipulated.
In voting, back in March, to oppose the karaoke club’s efforts to obtain a wine and beer license, CB 10 was acting on behalf of local residents, who were concerned that the opening of the establishment, at 848 64th Street, on the border of Sunset Park and Dyker Heights, would negatively impact safety at nearby Public School 69, 63rd Street and Ninth Avenue. Crown KTV cannot get a full liquor license because it is located within 500 feet of a school.
In particular, the school community was worried about drivers leaving Crown KTV after having had a few drinks and endangering children walking from school. Board members also expressed concern that, while only beer and wine would be sold at the restaurant, patrons might bring their own hard liquor in.
Among the conditions that the owners of Crown KTV have agreed to are a variety of measures intended to make the establishment safe, including having two licensed security guards on premises daily between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. , as well as the installation of a high-tech video security system.
In addition, they have agreed to allow only people age 21 and over into the establishment, and will stop serving wine and beer two hours prior to closing between Sunday and Wednesday. Also, they have agreed not to use promoters or sublet space inside the establishment, which will operate only as a karaoke lounge/restaurant, not as a night club or music club. Many of the conditions had been included in the board’s March 31 letter to SLA, explaining its opposition to the granting of the wine and beer license at that time.
“There definitely was an effort on the part of the applicant to comply not only with the law but with the concerns of the community,” noted Brian Kieran, the board’s treasurer, who had appeared at an SLA hearing on the board’s behalf in August. “They expressed willingness to address many of the concerns.”
The conditions that were agreed to by the proprietors of Crown KTV and CB 10 will be part of the establishment’s SLA application, and therefore will be “enforceable,” said Glenn Wright, the attorney for the owners of Crown KTV.
