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September 24, 2007
Questionable activity
Recently bought in Brownsville only to find neighbors have a "business" they operate out of their driveway. They sell produce. However, the selling goes on from 10am to 11PM or later every night. This is a house full of adults and children and no one goes to work other that the one gentleman who operates the produce stand. There is constant noise, cars stopping welll into the evening (and I daresay, it seems not everyone seems to be purchasing produce) and it is the only house on a quiet block that operates like this. Any suggestions?
Comments
move out of brownsville...?
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 3:42 PM
Yes: get heirloom tomatoes while they're still in season.
Aw, I kid. Call 311? Or don't worry about it? Is it really so bad?
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 3:48 PM
Are you the same poster who posed an almost identical question on July 20? Sure seem to be a lot of home-grown produce stands here in Brooklyn...
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 4:02 PM
That might have been me. I couldn't find my orginal post. And as if it was my post, as you can see, the situation has not gotten better.
Posted by: jazzmister at September 24, 2007 4:11 PM
your getting produce mixed up with product.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 5:31 PM
probably drug dealing as produce. best to start setting up a camera system around the house. if there is any dealing. well they'll be on camera.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 5:54 PM
I'd try a double-pronged approach of calling 311 plus talking to your police precinct community affairs person to see what the cops can do.
You can also gauge the neighborhood reaction by talking to your immediate neighbors, your long-term tenants (you have a multi-family, right?), plus anyone involved with the block association or neighborhood association, if there is one. If the produce stand has been there forever, it might be one of those things that the locals don't get upset about - it's part of the charm/idiosyncracy/quirks of the nabe. On the other hand, maybe everyone hates it and is waiting for a catalyst - you - to organize the opposition. Either way, you have to live there, and have to judge whether getting the stand shut down will improve your quality of life and your relations with everyone else on the block.
Do you know the stand owners, at least to have a nodding acquaintance with? If you were to go sit on your stoop from, say, 9PM onward and watch the activity, would you see people socializing, so it's more like a front-yard party? Or are people driving up to buy drugs, smashing bottles and peeing on on the sidewalk, blasting music and otherwise behaving like idiots? That would be part of my calculations about how far and how hard to push it. If there are any drug sales at all, or regular vandalism-type activity, I'd add 911 to the list and start regular police-precinct visits.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 24, 2007 7:47 PM
Set up your own produce stand and put them out of business.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 9:40 PM
Yeah, 9:40 pm, an organic produce stand!
I think if you complain about noise you'll get nowhere. The city doesn't care about noise or quality of life issues. Instead tell them somebody is running a retail store out of their home when the house is zoned residential, not commercial. It's a zoning issue. Be sure to tell 311 the produce stand is open every day, otherwise if anyone checks it out the neighbors might try to claim it's a garage sale, an occasional thing.
Posted by: guest at September 24, 2007 10:05 PM
Thanks for the comments. This is by far the loudest place on the block and I'm sure more is being sold than meets the eye.
Posted by: jazzmister at September 25, 2007 12:26 AM
Padlock Unit: (212) 566-4567
280 Broadway, 5th floor
http://home2.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/violations/padlock.shtml
"The Padlock Enforcement Unit (PEU) enforces Local Law 6 of 1993, which added section 26-127.2 to the New York City Administrative Code. PEU works to remove illegal commercial and manufacturing uses in residence districts that are contrary to the Zoning Resolution and any applicable Certificate of Occupancy. The City considers such uses as public nuisances."
Posted by: guest at September 25, 2007 12:46 PM
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