CB8 Report: Bar Corvo Wins Support for New Restaurant

Welcome to the live blog of Community Board 8's monthly meeting on Dec. 13, 2012 held at Berean Missionary Baptist Church in Crown Heights.

7:45pm: The board approved a renovation and addition to a home at 256 Prospect Place, located in the Prospect Heights Historic District.

The 1892 Romaesque Reival brownstone was approved for a full interior renovation of the basement, first and second floors, a two-story addition in the backyard, and a set-back, one-story rooftop additon with an indirect skylight.  In addition, all front windows will be replaced as well as the second-floor rear windows, and a whole house fan with dunnage on the second floor roof was approved. A backyard deck and stairs were approved as well. 

7:53pm: The board approved an addition to a home at 1137 Dean St. in the Crown Heights Historic District. 

The Neo-Grec brownstore was OK'd to convert the existing (long-vacant) "Class B" three-story building with a basement and nine rooms to a "Class A" six-unit building with a one-story rear extension.  

7:59pm: The owners of a new restaurant called Docklands Trading located at 789 Franklin Ave. between Lincoln Place and St. Johns Place is seeking a full liquor license.

The restaurant will be a restaurant/bar with a capacity of 48 people. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m to midnight on Friday; 10:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.

There will be soundproofing throughout. 

Question from floor: How are they having a full liquor license and have a child-friendly atmoshere?

Atim Oton: Certain people who have children do drink. And they will have a children's menu. Look at Applebees, they have alcohol and are considered child friendly. The majority of the space is a restaurant, not a bar. 

The menu will be American cuisine. 

They plan to operate two full shifts and hire 17 people. They expect to begin hiring in about two months. 

The board voted overwhelmingly to support the liquor license. 

8:08pm: The owners of Lincoln Station, 409 Lincoln Place at Washington Avenue, are applying for a beer and wine license. 

The restaurant will run a cafe/restaurant with 26 seats at 11 tables with no separate bar space. 

The owners also own Bar Corvo and Al Di La Trattoria.

They plan to hire 12 people are currently accepting resumes at the site. At Bar Corvo, about 12 of the 16 employees live within three-quarters of a mile of the restaurant. 

The hours will be 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

The board voted to support the wine and beer license.

8:21pm: The board votes to support the renewal of a full liquor license for Jameson Carlton Avenue at St. Marks and a beer and wine license for The Spot at Prospect Place and Washington Avenue. 

8:24pm: The board voted not to support a full liquor license for Da Butterfly, located at 826 St. Johns Place between Rogers and Nostrand avenues because of "inadequate information." According to board members, the owners were invited to present their application to the boards' SLA committee four times. They came twice but did not have the information the committee needed to make a judgement on the application.

8:40pm: The board voted to support a resolution from the Environment/Sanitation Committee in opposition to the building of the Spectra Pipeline, under the Hudson River and into Chelsea.

The resolution also asks the city council to hold hearings on “the health impacts associated with ramping up our reliance on natural gas.”

The committee argued that the gas, which would likely come from the Marcellus shale area, is “highly radioactive,” and radon, which causes lung cancer,  is released when the gas removed from the ground.

The committee was also concerned that the city’s older gas infrastructure “isn’t equipped to handle the higher volume of gas the Spectra Pipeline would supply” and would lead to leaks and explosions.

8:46pm: Lt. Cassandra Whitaker, who was recently appointed to head up the 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. shirt at the 77th Precinct introduced herself to the board. She said she would like to work with the community to prevent crime. 

She warned everyone not to take their phones out at night because they are being stolen, often through violent attacks. 

"People are being seriously hurt over a $400 phone," she said. 

8:55pm: Marlene Saunders, chair of the Aging/Health & Human Services Committee, reminded people that HIV/AIDS is still prevalent in Crown Heights.

8:57pm: Atim Oton discussed the progress of the economic development committee, which was recently split off from the newly created SLA/Sidewalk Cafe Review Committee. 

The committee is looking at each corridor in CB and making a wish list of businesses they would like to bring into the community. 

The committee is looking to attract businesses to Kingston and Nostrand avenues in particular, and are looking for diverse kinds businesses. She invites anyone thinking of opening a business in Community Board 8 to come talk to her. 

The committee meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on Classon Avenue at St. Marks Avenue. 

9:02pm:  Priscilla Maddox, Chair of the newly created Job Development & Readiness Training Committee invited people to come to the committee meetings the the Center for Nuring and Rehabilitation the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

9:04pm:  Shalawn Langhorne, the board's first vice chair and co-chair of the Police and Public Safety Committee, invites people to come to their meetings the 3rd Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the 77th Precinct, 127 Utica Ave. at the corner of Bergen Street.

She also noted that there is a Gun Buyback Event  on Dec. 15.

There is also a Safe Surrender event at Mount Sion Baptist Church 365 Ralph Ave. between Atlantic and Pacific 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15. At the event people with summons can take care of them to prevent them from turning into arrest warrants. 

The December meeting of the Transportation Committee has been canceled.

See all the board committees and when they meet here. All are welcome to attend. 

9:15pm: The meeting adjourns.