Bd. 1 Eyes Dancing Girls Warily
by richard gentilviso

While the New York City Council reached agreement on more stringent restrictions for loud music at clubs and bars under a new noise code, Community Board 1 met for the last time this year at Astoria World Manor on December 20.

In a close vote, an application for a cabaret license, which allows live music and dancing, was approved for Teddy Marino’s Steakhouse by the board. But the issue of contention at the Argentinian-style steakhouse located at 34-48 Steinway St. wasn’t really noise. Instead, the revelations that women in bikini tops were already dancing there became the focus of objections. But after a vote of 17 to 13 in favor, the matter moves on to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Noise is the number one quality of life complaint in the city and major code revisions to crack down on citywide noise nuisances were proposed more than a year ago by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Action was finally taken by the city council just before their holiday break on December 21 when the measure was unanimously approved.

The new code requires clubs and bars to keep sound levels below 42 decibels when measured from inside a nearby residence. The old limit was 45 decibels. In addition, police officers or Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) inspectors will use noise meters to determine violations.

The New York Nightlife Association lobbied strongly against current rules that allow police to issue violations without noise meters for “unreasonable noise”. Using meters under the new code, specific definitions for unreasonable noise have been set at 10 decibels or more above surrounding sound in the daytime and 7 decibels or more above surrounding sound at night when measured at a distance of 15 feet. The new code takes effect in July 2007.

In other business, an application for a variance to permit the construction of a new 6-story, mixed-use building was also approved by the board. The building, including commercial, community facility and residential space for 55 one- and two-bedroom units at 53-03 Broadway, was granted a variance from bulk regulations.

The board also approved a street “also known as” rider for the late Robert Wilson at 36th Avenue and Crescent Street. Wilson served as president of the Dutch Kills Civic Association and was active in the community for many years.

The board also approved 12 street festivals for 2006. The local affairs, all mainstays in the neighborhood, are reviewed on an annual basis by the community board before they can be granted permits from the mayor’s Community Assistance Unit.

In the last two decades, street fairs have grown so much throughout all five boroughs that permits for events of more than one block and/or one day were capped at 270 annually in 2004 by the city. A prime reason for the limit, say city officials, is the expense needed to cover police overtime at street festivals.

Also as of 2004, new regulations require street fair sponsors to provide evidence of general liability insurance in the amount of $1 million in order to obtain a permit. Nonprofit organizations holding a festival for only a single block for a single day are exempt.

The following is a list of the multi-block/multi-day street festivals that were approved for 2006 by the board:

1) Central Astoria Local Development Coalition April 30 on Steinway Street between 28th and 34th Avenues (1 day, 4 blocks)

2 St. Demetrios Cathedral May 17-22 on 30th Drive between 30th and 31st Streets (May 17 for set up, May 22 for dismantle, 1 block, 4 days)

3) Broadway Astoria Merchants and Professionals Association

•May 29 on Broadway between Crescent and 47 Streets (1 day, 17 blocks)

•October 1 on Broadway between Crescent and 47 Streets (1 day, 17 blocks)

4) St. Antonio Abate Society of Castrofilippo

June 21 through 25 (June 21 set-up) on Ditmars Boulevard between 35th and 38th Streets (4 days, 3 blocks)

5) Friends of Community Board 1

July 16 on 30th Avenue between 29th and 42nd Streets (1 day, 13 blocks)

6) 114 Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol

July 30 on Broadway between Steinway and 47th Streets (1 day, 6 blocks)

7) St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery

July 27 to 30 on 23rd Avenue from 35 to mid 37th Streets and on 36th Street from 23rd Avenue to under the Amtrak overpass (2 blocks, 4 days)

8) Dutch Kills Civic Association august 19 on 36th Avenue between 29th and 35th Streets (1 day, 6 blocks)

9) Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America (St. Markella)

August 3 to 6 on 26th Street from 23rd Avenue to the Amtrak trestles (1/2 block, 4 days)

10) Steinway Street B.I.D.

August 13 on Steinway between 28th and 34th Avenues (1 day, 5 blocks)

11) Borgetto Cultural Assn.

August 16 to 20 on Steinway Street (August 16 for set-up) between 25th and 28th Avenues (1 block, 2 days)

12) 30th Avenue Business Assn.

September 4th on 30th Avenue between 29th and 42nd Streets (1 day, 13 blocks).