Community Board Moving to Nuke Union Hall
Last night Community Board 6’s landmarks/land-use committee dealt a harsh (albeit symbolic) blow to local watering hole and performance space Union Hall. After a lengthy and often rancorous public hearing about renewing the Park Slope bar and venue’s liquor license, the committee voted 6 to 2 in favor of a motion that denies Union Hall…
Last night Community Board 6’s landmarks/land-use committee dealt a harsh (albeit symbolic) blow to local watering hole and performance space Union Hall. After a lengthy and often rancorous public hearing about renewing the Park Slope bar and venue’s liquor license, the committee voted 6 to 2 in favor of a motion that denies Union Hall a renewal unless the business’s owners sign a contract stipulating that they will take measures to ameliorate noise, such as stopping the sale of alcohol after midnight. Although the motion is ultimately only advisory, the committee member who introduced it—Lou Sones, who himself owns a bar, The Brazen Head on Atlantic Avenue—described it as the community board’s “nuclear weapon” in terms of being a powerful indication to the State Liquor Authority that Union Hall is disturbing the lives of nearby residents. The motion was introduced after a two-hour-long pubic hearing in which many supporters of Union Hall, which is on Union Street between 5th and 6th avenues, spoke about how much they appreciated the business. A good number of residents who live near the establishment, meanwhile, described how noise from the business and its patrons was negatively affecting their quality of life. More people at the hearing, in fact, spoke out in support of Union Hall than against it. Find out what they had to say, and read the anti-UH faction’s claims, on the jump…
The business’s boosters said Union Hall is a great deal more than just a bar or rock venue. One of the people who runs the club’s Secret Science Club, for example, noted that his group has brought three Nobel Laureates to speak at the venue, and comedian Eugene Mirman talked about how his comedy night at the venue has been called one of the best in the city. Union Hall co-owner Jim Carden described how many Brooklyn organizations have held fundraisers at the space and detailed the many ways he and his partners have tried to address noise concerns, from soundproofing to putting up signs like the one at right to trying to hold meetings with block residents who say they’ve been disturbed by the bar’s noise. Some of those residents, who have been complaining about Union Hall for many months now, described not being able to sleep because their street is constantly filled with drunken revelers at all hours of the night and morning. Most dramatically, one Union Street resident said she’d been dealing with auto-immune problems that were directly linked to sleep deprivation. The struggle between Union Hall and its neighbors is one that’s currently being played out all around the city, and community boards have become battlegrounds where the fight between people who want to preserve their residential streets and businesses that want to operate on those streets is played out. A somewhat similar liquor license battle was recently fought over an oyster bar that’s opening on Hoyt Street. The committee’s recommendation on Union Hall will be voted on by all of Community Board 6 next week, and if the full board also backs the motion, the State Liquor Authority will have to weigh the decision when it decides on whether to renew Union Hall’s license at the end of this month.
Neighbors to Union Hall: Shut Up! [Brownstoner]
Shucks! Oyster Bar Dredges Up Controversy on Hoyt [Brownstoner]
smoker 10:49??? you are all so obvious in your stupidity and ignorance…at least you won’t be around long to continue inane comments
I made out with Sufjan Stevens there…
“such as stopping the sale of alcohol after midnight” um, ok. so what if people drink at home after 12am and walk down union avenue at 3am talking loudly… how’s that any different?
first off, these local residents do have a right to complain if their quality of life is being affected. but this is all too much.
secondly, how can the patrons not understand they need to shut the hell up when they’re outside at night? common sense. unfortunately the bar is being targeted when they are doing what they can to try to tone things down. it’s the patrons, not the bar.
If you don’t like nightlife, try Connecticut.
There probably aren’t enough bars in Park Slope.
To people that are bitching about the noise: you can lay a lot of blame on the smoking ban, which forces bar and club patrons out to go out into the street to smoke.
Has anyone else noticed that these noise complaints increased dramatically after the smoking ban?
I did coke with Maggie Gylenhall in the bathroom there.
NY is all about transplants/immigrants. I don’t think your argument holds water 10:31. Also what is lost here is that PS’s popularity has been built on the backs of small biz owners in combination with the park. 5th ave was unsafe before the businesses came. The families moved from the park down and the culture from the gowanus up. Here we meet in the middle. As long as this bar is willing to work with the neighbors (which contrary to this lou guy’s feelings mediation actually works) I think it should be there. Responsible business owners should be aloud to thrive next to residential. I believe from what I heard at the meeting that they are responsible and are listening to their neighbors. Mixed-use city planing is what has made this city unique and the business owners as well as the home owners should have the right to exist as long as they are thoughtful of one another.
Union Hall is a responsible bar that provides so many valuable events for the Park Slope community. It’s clean and looks nice to the street. Getting rid of such a valuable venue would only bring down property values in a scary time. What foolishness…
There are a countless bars in the NYC metro area and you don’t see them all being shut down because of noise. This is ridiculous. You moved next door to a bar and you expect it to shut down according to your schedule? It’s not like they are having outside concerts. Get a life!