Closing The Loophole: Bill, Which Clarifies 200-Foot Bar And Club Rule, Passes State Senate

Bravo to State Senator Squadron and Assembly Member Millman! Their bill regarding the 200-foot law that keeps bars and clubs at a specified distance from schools and places of worship, as well as 500-foot law that requires hearings for new establishments just passed the State Senate.

Below is the official statement:

Senator Squadron and Assembly Member Millman’s bill that will close a loophole in the 200-foot law, intended to keep nightlife establishments a reasonable distance from schools and places of worship, passed the New York State Senate today. The bill clarifies the 200-foot law, requiring the 200-foot separation to be measured from the property line of the nightlife establishment. The clarification creates a clear, enforceable law that nightlife operators can adhere to and communities can rely on. It will similarly amend the 500-foot law to clarify that the measurement take place from the property line of the nightlife establishments in question.

Senator Squadron said, “This bill closes a loophole in the 200-foot rule big enough to fit its own bar. By clarifying that measurements must be taken from the property line, as was always intended, this bill creates a clear, consistent standard for communities and establishments to follow – another step toward desperately needed consistency and clarity in licensing.”

Senator Squadron has worked hard to close loopholes in nightlife laws and allow effective enforcement that communities and nightlife operators can rely on. Last year he passed S5578, a bill that closes a different loophole in the 500-foot law, so that bars, clubs and taverns are not counted separately when the State Liquor Authority considers whether there are three or more nightlife establishments operating within 500 feet of a new applicant. That bill became law in September 2009. Senator Squadron also hosted State Liquor Authority Chairman Dennis Rosen at a town hall meeting in February 2010, allowing Chairman Rosen and the leaders of the SLA to listen directly to the unique concerns of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn communities.

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