Third letter to Department of City Planning discussing the 1989 changes to the Zoning Resolution made in response to the Chiasson cases striking down portions of the Cabaret Law as to music performances, and noting the lack of response to prior letters. There was no response to this letter. On conclusion is that the DeBlasio administration had no intention to move forward with removal or restrictions against dancing.
Document Category: Zoning Reform - City of Yes
Letter 2-18-2019 to Department of City Planning Requesting Review of Zoning Resolution re Dancing
Second 2019 letter requesting Department of City Planning to take the lead in providing a zero-based analysis of each provision of the Zoning Resolution affecting dancing and requesting mapping to show areas in City where dancing was banned.
Letter 2-12-2019 to Department of City Planning Requesting Review of Zoning Resolution re Dancing
Letter to DCP requesting mapping of areas where dancing is prohibited. Despite the recognition that the 2017 repeal of the Cabaret Law did not affect the Zoning Resolution’s ban on dancing in many sections of the City, a year later no visible action or movement had taken place to remove the restrictions. This letter was the first of three intended to determine if the Department of City Planning was taking any action to study amendment to the Zoning Resolution.
Sugarman Presentation to Nightlife Advisory Board V. 3
Concurrent with repeal of the Cabaret Law, the City Council established a new Nightlife Office and provided for a Nightlife Advisory Board. The board held hearings. On March 13, 2019 Alan Sugarman presented a comprehensive PowerPoint, shown here in a post-hearing edited version.
Understanding the Cabaret Law Repeal – Office of Nightlife -SLA Approval Required
“In addition, if the venue has a license from the State Liquor Authority and did not originally apply for patron dancing, the venue will need to file a Change Method of Operation Application with the SLA to make patron dancing an approved part of their liquor license…While the requirement to obtain a Cabaret license has been repealed, the underlying requirements that allow for patron dancing were not eliminated. Only the last item in the process, the cabaret license itself, was eliminated. If the nightlife venue was not permitted to have dancing before the cabaret license was repealed, it is likely that it is still not allowed.”