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MICS.PLEASE SPEAK CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE, SO I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
SO SHE ASKED THAT THE, UM, WE RESCHEDULE AFTER HER VACATION, AND, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
SO THEN WE'LL DO, WE'LL START WITH SOMO RIVER LIQUORS APPLICATION, WHICH PUTS US RIGHT ON TIME.
YOU COULD COME SIT AT THE TABLE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I CAN'T ABOVE DARN.
THERE'S PLENTY OF SIT, SOMEBODY CAN SIT OVER HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, MY NAME IS WILLIAM NALL.
I'M A PARTNER AT THE FIRM OF CU AND FADER, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF, UM, ZAHID AND BRITTANY MIHIR, WHO ARE PRINCIPALS IN THREE 10 IN, UM, SOMO RIVER LIQUORS, L L C, WHICH IS PROPOSING TO, UH, OPEN A LIQUOR STORE AT THREE 10 SOMO RIVER ROAD, WHICH IS NEXT TO CONNECTED TO THE SHOPRITE THAT, UM, I WAS BEFORE YOU GETTING APPROVAL FOR, FOR, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS TO A YEAR OR SO, AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY IS, IS OPEN.
THERE IS A, THERE ARE, UH, RETAIL SPACES ADJACENT AS YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A PLAN THAT YOU WERE FAMILIAR WITH.
AND ONE OF THE USES CONTEMPLATED FOR THAT SPACE WAS A LIQUOR STORE.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY GOOD COMBINATION TO BE ABLE TO GO SHOP FOR YOUR MEAL, UM, AND THEN GO NEXT DOOR WITHOUT TRAVELING FURTHER, HAVING PARKING, UH, CONVENIENT.
AND IT ACTUALLY HISTORICALLY IS A LOCATION WHERE THERE WAS A, IN THE MASTER'S SHOPPING CENTER, THERE WAS A LIQUOR STORE.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU THAT QUESTION.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT AS IF THAT WASN'T, UM, SOMETHING RECOGNIZED.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER, UM, SUPERMARKET LOCATIONS WHERE LIQUOR STORES ARE IN THE CENTER, RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT CONVENIENCE IS ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS IN ISSUING A LIQUOR LICENSE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS IN THE MASTER'S SHOPPING CENTER? I DON'T, I REPRESENTED THEM ON, ON THAT CENTER AS WELL, BUT I THINK IT WAS THERE FOR SEVERAL DECADES.
I THINK THAT THE CURRENT, AND WHEN DID THEY LEAVE? 2018.
2018 WHEN THE WHOLE
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL LIQUOR STORES IN THE GENERAL AREA, BUT THERE, UM, THERE HAD BEEN OTHER LIQUOR STORES.
THERE ARE OTHER LIQUOR STORES, AND PEOPLE GENERALLY GO TO LIQUOR STORES FOR CONVENIENCE.
OF COURSE, THEY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, AND THEY MAY STAY WITH BUSINESSES BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT JUST LIKE RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE LIQUOR LICENSES, UM, OPPOSITION TO ANOTHER RESTAURANT DOESN'T USUALLY COME UP JUST BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT NEARBY.
PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELECTING DIFFERENT FORMS OF BUSINESS.
AND THE BUSINESS THAT ZAHID AND BRITTANY ARE LOOKING TO ESTABLISH IS A, IS A UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT APPROACH TO IT.
AND I'LL LET THEM DESCRIBE IT FOR YOU.
WE, WE HAD ASKED SUPERVISOR FINER FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH JANUARY 23RD OF THIS YEAR TO ISSUE SUCH A LETTER SUPPORTING THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, JULY 26TH, THERE WAS AN EMAIL SENT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, UM, SAYING THAT, THAT HE OBJECTED.
AND THAT WAS THE REASON THAT WE ASKED TO MEET WITH ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE I'M SORRY, YOU SKIPPED OVER A LITTLE BIT.
WHO, WHO SENT THE LETTER? ME, UH, SUPERVISOR FINER CHANGED HIS POSITION AND ISSUED AN EMAIL SAYING HE OBJECTED TO THE, TO THE LIQUOR LICENSE.
SO THAT OBVIOUSLY AFFECTED THE PROCESSING OF, UH, THE APPLICATION BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, AND IT'S BEEN ADJOURNED TO ANOTHER DATE.
BUT WE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO COME BACK BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD AND TO ASK EVERYBODY RATHER THAN, UM, JUST HAVE MR. FINER BE THE SOLE VOICE FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND IMPORTANTLY, AS FAR AS VOICES GO, UM, ZAHID AND BRITTANY COLLECTED 5,100 PLUS SIGNATURES ON A PETITION THAT I THINK HAS BEEN SENT TO YOU.
SO THERE IS, UH, A COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THIS LIQUOR STORE.
THERE IS OBVIOUS CONVENIENCE IN HAVING A LIQUOR STORE ADJACENT TO THE SHOP, RIGHT? SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO DRIVE THERE WITH, WITHOUT THEIR KIDS DRIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR YET ANOTHER STOP.
THEY CAN, THEY CAN STAY THERE PARKED AND, AND DO THAT.
AND THAT, UM, CON CONVEN PUBLIC CONVENIENCE IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR, UH, AUTHORITY IS SUPPOSED TO CONSIDER.
SO I THINK, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO ASK, UM, SAHI AND MIHIR TO DESCR, UH, SAHI AND BRITTANY TO
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DESCRIBE, UM, THEIR BUSINESS PLAN SO THAT YOU, YOU HEAR WHAT, WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO DO HERE.JUST PULL THE MICS UP TO YOU SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, FIRST OFF, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MEET WITH US TODAY.
IT, IF YOU COULD JUST LIFT THE, OH, YEAH.
SO,
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IS THIS THE SAME ONE BY EMAIL? YES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, ALLEN, THIS WAS SENT BY EMAIL.
IT WAS ALL SENT BY EMAIL AS WELL.
WE GO AND KEEP A, I'LL KEEP A COPY COUNCIL.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT MONSTER DOCUMENT RIGHT THERE, UH, THAT IS A PETITION THAT WE ACTUALLY PERSONALLY, UH, WENT AND MET THE COMMUNITY FOR TWO WEEKS.
WE TOOK OUR OWN TIME TO MEET WITH EVERYONE.
WE GOT OVER 5,100 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO SIGN AND SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR US.
OPENING WHAT PERIOD OF TIME? OVER TWO WEEKS.
WHAT TWO WEEK PERIOD WOULD THAT BE? UH, IT WAS THE TWO WEEKS.
RIGHT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY OF THIS YEAR? YES.
SO SAY MAY 14TH TO LIKE THE 28TH, I'D SAY, I THINK, YES.
AND HOW WAS THIS ACCOMPLISHED? YOU WENT TO THEM, THEY CAME TO YOU.
SO, SO WE ACTUALLY SET UP, UH, SHOPRITE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO USE THEIR VESTIBULE FOR THOSE TWO WEEKS.
UH, WE SET UP, SO WE HAD OUR MATCHING T-SHIRTS, WE HAD OUR LITTLE SIGNS, AND WE JUST, I LOVE IT.
WE DID OUR PITCH, YOU KNOW, AND ANYONE WHO WALKED BY WHO'S WILLING TO GIVE US A LISTEN, THEY STOOD, THEY HEARD US, WE HEARD THEM, UH, AND AT THE END THEY SIGNED, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE US THEIR NAME, THEIR ADDRESS, AND THERE WAS AN OVERWHELMING POSITIVITY OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LOOKING FOR THAT CONVENIENCE.
'CAUSE WE WOULD BE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE SHOPRITE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF HAVING ANOTHER STORE IN THE COMMUNITY, IT IS CONVENIENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE TOLD, YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE SHOPPING THAT THEY REALLY, REALLY LOVED IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE WIDE ENOUGH AISLES WHERE FAMILIES WITH STROLLERS COULD ACTUALLY SHOP IN OUR STORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE COMMUNITY, A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORE.
SO WE WANTED TO BE AN AIRY FAMILY FRIENDLY SPACE, BUT NOT JUST THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE PRODUCTS THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US TO HAVE DIVERSITY IN OUR PRODUCTS, AND THAT MEANS THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE PRODUCTS.
SO WE ACTUALLY ARE GONNA HAVE COMPLETE SECTIONS DEDICATED TO WOMEN OWNED, BLACK OWNED, MINORITY OWNED PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS NEW YORK AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS.
BUT WE REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE UNDERREPRESENTED PEOPLE IN THE WINE AND SPIRITS COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, AS A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR A DECADE, YOU DON'T SEE THESE THINGS HIGHLIGHTED.
AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO US, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUNG, WE'RE TRYING TO COME TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA BRING SOMETHING NEW AND FRESH.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE EVEN LISTENING TO THIS PITCH BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
SO I, YOU START TALKING ABOUT SUPPLY DIVERSITY, YOU TOUCH MY HEART.
YOU, YOU ALREADY GOT ME THERE.
AS SOON AS SOMEBODY GOES IN ONE OF OUR, YOU KNOW, DRUG AND ALCOHOL, UH, FORCE GOES IN THERE AND YOU SELL IT TO AN UNDERAGE PERSON, UM, THE SMILES COME OFF EVERYBODY'S FACE.
WELL, WE ALSO ACTUALLY HAVE A RESPONSIBLE SERVING CERTIFICATE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE TAKEN THE COURSES AND CERTIFIED MM-HMM.
WE, WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
NOT THAT WE NEED A LICENSE TO NOT SELL TO BUYERS.
SO IS IT, SO IS IT, UH, FAIR TO SAY THAT SHOPRITE'S SUPPORTIVE OF THIS? AND WHAT ABOUT THE OWNERS OF THE, UH, OF THE PROPERTY ITSELF? I ASSUME THEY WERE A LIQUOR STORE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM THEM AS WELL.
WAKEFERN IS ACTUALLY NOT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IS THE SAME CLIENTS THAT, UH, ARE PART OF THE FAMILY THAT'S OWNED IT FROM WHEN IT WAS MASTER'S SHOPPING CENTER.
WELL, I ASSUME THAT'S, AND I REPRESENT SINCE I, YOU REPRESENTED THE PRE PRIOR, PRIOR SHOPRITE, AND NOW YOU'RE REPRESENTING THEM.
I ASSUME THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T BE THE SAME ATTORNEY FOR BOTH.
BRITTANY, ANOTHER GROWING TREND YOU MIGHT WANT TO, YOU AND SAHEED MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER IS A SECTION, UM, ENTITLED NON-ALCOHOLIC.
THERE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GROWING TREND FOR THAT OPTION.
AND, UM, YOU MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER THAT ONE OF THE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, I HAD BECAUSE, UH, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY YESTERDAY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO EITHER SUPPORT THIS OR NOT SUPPORT IT, THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T MY DECISION WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA APPROVE IT.
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BUT THE, THE CONCERN I HAD WAS I HAD HEARD FROM, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I ALSO HEARD FROM, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, A COMPETING LIQUOR STORE OWNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, SPENT MANY, MANY YEARS HAVING A, THEIR OWN BUSINESS MM-HMM.AND THEY'RE WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR STORE IS GONNA, IN EFFECT, FORCE THEM OUT OF BUSINESS.
AND BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, SO CLOSE, AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE POSITION, I MEAN, THIS IS ME PERSONALLY MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, WE INVITED HIM TO SAY WORDS TO THE TOWN BOARD, YOU KNOW, ALSO.
BUT I'M WONDERING, HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW, THIS COMPETITION, BUT, AND THAT'S THE WAY LIFE IS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, TAKING AN ACTION STEP THAT YOU KNOW IS GONNA FORCE SOMEBODY ELSE TO GO UNDER? SO THIS, THIS WON'T FORCE ANYONE TO GO UNDER.
THIS IS, UH, A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND ONE STORE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
PE UH, THERE'VE BEEN OTHER LIQUOR STORES IN THE MARKET PREVIOUSLY, AND THAT THE STORES THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUT THERE HAD SURVIVED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS DURING, UH, THE COVID PANDEMIC.
THEY WERE AMONG THE SMALL SEGMENT OF RETAILERS THAT DID EXTREMELY WELL.
UM, BUT, UM, THE, THE IDEA THAT THAT COMPETITION MAY AFFECT THE REVENUES OF A GIVEN BUSINESS ISN'T A REASON TO STOP PEOPLE FROM HAVING A NEW BUSINESS IN THE SAME MARKET SEGMENT.
AS I MENTIONED, RESTAURANTS, THEY OPEN, THEY CLOSE.
UM, NOBODY HERE MEANS ANY HARM TO ANY OTHER RETAILER, ALL SUPPORTIVE OF OTHERS' BUSINESS, BUT NOT IN A WAY THAT WOULD PREVENT A YOUNG COUPLE FROM HAVING A BUSINESS THAT THEY'VE WORKED FOR, FOR A DECADE PLUS.
AND, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO MOVE UP HERE, BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY, RAISE A FAMILY, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE WORKED WITH, UH, WAKEFERN AND SHOPRITE AND TO SECURE THIS SPACE, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO BE A LIQUOR STORE.
AND I THINK IT'S ENCOURAGING THAT THEY'VE GOT A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE BUSINESS.
THE OTHER THING THAT I SHOULD JUST MENTION TO THE TOWN BOARD IS THAT THE DECISION IS NOT UP TO THE TOWN BOARD.
SO WHEN THE LIQUOR, WHEN THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY ASKED ME, AND WHEN YOU ASKED, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW TO TAKE A STAND, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION.
SO, SO THE THING IS, WHEN THEY WERE ASKING ME FOR A RECOMMENDATION, I BASICALLY WAS NOT SAYING, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS YES OR NO.
I JUST PERSONALLY FEEL, AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENCES.
I SAID PERSONALLY, I, I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT MY NAME ON SOMETHING SAYING I WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT I PERSONALLY FEEL COULD LAND UP FORCING SOMEBODY OUTTA BUSINESS.
THAT'S MY OWN PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, POSITION.
BUT I ALSO INDICATED TO YOU, UM, THAT, UM, ULTIMATELY IF THE BOARD HAS DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FIVE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND THE FOUR OF THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WANT TO WRITE TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT THIS.
AND I, I THOUGHT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THIS SHOULD BE A MATTER THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, SO EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD COULD DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE.
AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY COULD WEIGH THE PLUSES AND MI AND MINUSES OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSAL.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD.
WE OF COURSE, WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU REVERSED YOUR SUPPORT.
WOULD YOU MIND FROM JANUARY, WOULD YOU MIND READING WHAT HE WROTE IN JANUARY THEN? READING? YEAH, WHAT HE WROTE IN JUNE.
THE, THE LETTER FROM, UH, SUPERVISOR FINER IN JANUARY, JANUARY GOT COPIES OF THAT AS WELL.
JANUARY 23RD WAS ADDRESSED TO, UH, VINCENT C. BRADLEY.
UH, AND IT SAID, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE EFFECTS OF C OVID 19 EXACERBATING THE NUMBER OF VACANT RETAIL LOCATIONS IN THE TOWN.
I'VE CONFIRMED WITH TOWN STAFF THAT THE SUBJECT SITE THREE 10 SOMO ROAD, UH, POST OFFICE ELMSFORD, IS LOCATED WITHIN THE DESIGN SHOPPING DS DISTRICT WITHIN WHICH LIQUOR STORES ARE A PERMITTED COMMERCIAL USE.
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COMPANY'S INTEREST IN SEEKING TO BRING ITS BUSINESS TO THE TOWN.SHOULD THE APPLICATIONS BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE STATE AND CONTINUE LOCALLY TOWN STAFF WILL ASSIST WITH ANY BUILDING PERMITT APPLICATION THAT FOLLOWS SINCERELY, PAUL, FINER TOWN SUPERVISOR.
AND THEN BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I HEARD FROM, UH, THE CURRENT LOOK AT THE STORE OWNERS, AND I HEARD FROM SOME RESIDENTS, UH, BARBARA JACOBS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO LIVES, UH, IN THE CONDO, UH, NEAR THERE.
I HEARD FROM OTHER, UH, RESIDENTS, UM, OF THE CONDO, UH, AND PEOPLE ON THE BOARD OF THE CONDO.
AND THEY HAD SAID THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HAD CONCERNS.
AND THEN, UM, AND I THINK YOU ASKED ME FOR A STRONGER LETTER.
YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEN AFTER YOU ASKED ME FOR THE, OR SOMEBODY ASKED ME, YOU MIGHT'VE ASKED ME FOR A STRONGER LETTER.
UM, AND THEN AFTER YOU ASKED ME FOR THE STRONGER LETTER, UH, I HAD, AFTER MY FIRST LETTER, I HAD HEARD FROM SOME OF THE, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE, SO DID THESE RESIDENTS CITE ANY ISSUES THAT THEY HAD WITH THE PRIOR LIQUOR STORE THAT WAS THERE FOR DECADES WHEN THEY OBJECTED TO THIS LIQUOR STORE BEING THERE? YES.
THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS PROBABLY LIKE IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS.
MY QUESTION WAS, DID THEY EXPRESS CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE LIQUOR STORE THAT HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE FOR DECADES WHEN THEY EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS TO YOU ABOUT THIS LIQUOR STORE OPENING THERE? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I FORGET THE SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS.
WE COULD HAVE, WE COULD INVITE THEM TO SPEAK TO THE TOWN BOARD.
IF, IF YOU WANT, I COULD ASK, YOU KNOW, BARBARA, IF, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD WANT HER, UM, UH, COMMENT IN AND HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, HER CONCERNS.
BECAUSE THIS WAS, I YOU DON'T SPECIFICALLY RECALL? I DON'T REMEMBER.
I DON'T RECALL ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRIOR LIQUOR STORE.
I DON'T RECALL THE, I JUST RECALL THAT, YOU KNOW, I GOT A BUNCH OF CALLS AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORTLY AFTER THERE FROM, FROM MM-HMM.
BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EX THE EXISTING, UM, UM, LIQUOR STORE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD HEAR FROM THEM AND THEY COULD HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEIR CONCERNS AND, AND THEN THE BOARD COULD DECIDE WHAT, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
SO THERE'S STILL A LIQUOR STORE THERE.
NOW, THIS WOULD BE IN THE SAME SHOPPING CENTER? THERE'S NO, THERE'S A LIQUOR STORE, UM, A FEW BLOCKS AWAY ON NINE A.
AND I, AND I THINK IT'S CALLED ELMS FOR DISCOUNT LIQUORS.
AND I THINK THE ATTORNEY FOR THAT, THAT COMPANY IS NOW COMING ON.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, I NOTICED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PETITION, I, I CAN FIX IT FOR YOU.
THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM PENNSYLVANIA, CONNECTICUT, OING, NEW YORK CITY, YONKERS.
THESE ARE ALL SIGNATURES OBTAINED WHILE YOU WERE SITTING IN FRONT OF THE YES, SIR.
SO RIGHT IN FRONT, BECAUSE THE NEW SHOPPER IS A DESTINATION LOCATION, WE HAD PEOPLE COMING EVERYWHERE FOR THIS DESTINATION.
SO WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SHOPPER.
IT WAS ACTUALLY REPORTING THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN FROM FIVE TO 20 MILES AWAY.
SO OUR STORE, I THINK, WOULD ALSO HELP BRING IN A LARGER CLIENTELE TO THE COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT WOULD HELP TAX REVENUE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE ALSO WILL BE HIRING OR GIVING PREFERENCE TO HIRING ELMSFORD RESIDENTS.
SO WE ONLY WANNA BE A POSITIVE FORCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S BE CLEAR,
YOU HAVE AN ELMSFORD POST OFFICE.
BUT YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE HERE BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD.
YOU'RE NOT BEFORE THE ELMSFORD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, EVEN THOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE MAYOR IS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS APPLICATION.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU SAY HIRE FROM ELMSFORD, I HOPE YOU MEAN HIRING FROM UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG.
IN ADDITION TO, UM, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR MISSPEAKING.
IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BRAND GREENBERG BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT POST OFFICE ADDRESSES, OF COURSE.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT WANT TO DISENFRANCHISE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN ON THE CED GREENBERG YES.
WHERE YOU ARE SITUATED, I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED THAT BEFORE.
WHEN YOU'RE DOING HIRING, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
BUT THE MAIN IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE CORPORATED.
AND OUR PLAN AS WELL IS TO ALSO TO MOVE INTO GREENSBURG FROM WHERE WE CURRENTLY LIVE TODAY.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, UH, MR. ROMANO, YOU REPRESENT THE FORMER LIQUOR STORE THAT USED TO BE THERE FOR DECADES.
AND IT IS NOW THE CLOSEST LIQUOR STORE.
UM, IT'S, UH, NOT SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY.
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BLOCKS AWAY.AND, UH, A VERY, UH, A, UH, HOP SKIP AND A JUMP AWAY.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET ON THE RECORD THAT I, THE JANUARY, UH, LETTER FROM SUPERVISOR, FROM THE SUPERVISOR WAS PROJECTED TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY AS A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS 20 YEARS, MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
THAT WAS A LETTER OF ACQUIESCENCE OR SORT OF A LETTER OF, OKAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
UH, IN NO WAY IS THAT A LETTER OF SUPPORT, IN MY OPINION.
UM, CONTRARY TO THE LETTER OF JULY 26TH, IN WHICH, UH, SUPERVISOR FEER IS VERY CLEAR AND DIRECT AND GIVEN HIS, UM, OPPOSITION TO THIS, UH, APPLICANT, UM, THIS IS AN APPLICANT THAT I HAVE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY MANIPULATE, IN MY OPINION, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY SCHEDULE, UH, IN ORDER TO ASSURE, UH, SECOND AND THIRD BITE OF THE APPLE.
UM, THEY SUBMITTED, UM, YOU CAN ASK THEM TO SHOW YOU THEIR EXHIBIT F F UH, EXCUSE ME, EXHIBIT F AS IN FRANK ON THEIR PROPOSED PRICES.
UH, THIS WAS DONE, I BELIEVE, IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE GREAT VALUE TO CUSTOMERS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THEIR, AT THEIR OWN NUMBERS, THEY'RE SHOWING PROFITS OF 17 CENTS TO THE HIGHEST OF 89 CENTS PER BOTTLE FROM THEIR COST TO THE, TO THE RETAIL PRICE.
IF THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, UM, THEY'LL BE OUT, I GUESS, UH, MY CLIENT, MR. SHE, SHE WOULD HAVE A BALANCE FOR DISCOUNT LIQUOR, SHOULD HAVE NO ISSUES BECAUSE THEY'LL BE OUT OF BUSINESS AT NO TIME.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT COULD BE THEIR PRIOR THAT, THAT THOSE WILL BE THEIR PRICES.
UM, UH, THE OTHER THING, SALES OF THE SURROUNDING STORES, IF YOU LOOK AND THE GROSS SALES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN FLAT OR GOING DOWN, AND THAT'S INDICATIVE OF AN AREA OF SATURATION OR LACK OF OVERSATURATION OF LIQUOR STORES ALREADY IN THE AREA.
UM, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I WOULD TELL YOU WITH ME CERTAINTY, I'M A LAWYER.
UH, I COULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING A HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAIN, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF THIS STORE IS GRANTED APPROVAL BY THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, MY CLIENT'S STORE JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET AWAY, SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AWAY, UM, WILL SURELY NOT BE AROUND IN A YEAR FROM NOW.
AND THAT WOULD BE A SHAME BECAUSE MR. SHNU HAS SUPPLIED, UH, SERVED THE COMMUNITY, UM, FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
HE'S BECOME A PICTURE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE STORE AS PROPOSED IN THE, IN THE CENTER, WOULD TAKE AWAY, IN MY OPINION, AT LEAST 50% OF HIS BUSINESS, BASICALLY MAKING HIM HIS BUSINESS.
UM, SO I REALLY ASKED THE, UH, BOARD TO CONSIDER, UM, CAREFULLY BEFORE, UM, SIGNING OR GIVING ANY OPINION PLUS OR, OR NEGATIVE, BUT TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE FACTORS.
UM, EVERYBODY IN THAT AREA IS SUPPLYING, UH, HAS PRODUCTS FROM MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, HAS PRODUCTS FROM FEMALE OWNED BUSINESSES.
THOSE ARE THE CATCHPHRASES THAT ARE USED WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, IN MY OPINION, THOSE ARE CATCHPHRASES USED BY APPLICANTS WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE SOLID GROUND TO STAND ON, UH, FOR THEIR, UH, FOR THEIR STORES.
WILL THIS BE A NEW STORE? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A NEW STORE BY THE NATURE OF IT BEING A NEW STORE.
UM, WILL IT BE A FRESHER STORE? YES.
BUT IF THAT'S WHAT YOU DO TO, UH, DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A NEW LIQUOR STORE IN TOWN, YOU'RE GONNA CONSTANTLY BE ROTATING LIQUOR STORES.
UM, I WOULD REALLY, UM, ASK EVERYBODY TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND CONSIDER THE SURROUNDING STORE'S FATE, UM, BECAUSE THIS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON 'EM.
THERE'S NO QUESTION, NO QUESTION IN MY MIND, WHATSOEVER, A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT.
YOU MENTIONED THAT ONE BUSINESS WOULD GO UNDER.
DO YOU THINK, UH, ALL, UM, ALL FOUR WOULD GO UNDER? AND WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION? UH, I, I, I SPEAK FOR, UH, MR, YOU KNOW, MR. SHINU AT ELMSFORD AND SAW MILLER RIVER ROAD.
HE WAS LITERALLY AT THE EXACT LOCATION, YOU KNOW, THE PINPOINT LOCATION OF WHERE THEY WANT TO OPEN THEIR STORE.
HE TOOK A, A STORE, ANOTHER SPACE AS CLOSE AS HE COULD POSSIBLY FIND.
I MEAN, HE DID WHAT HE COULD TO, TO KEEP SERVING WITH PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE CENTER.
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IS GRANTED YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, A SUPERVISOR, IT WOULD NOT JUST BE, UH, ELMS FOR DISCOUNT WINE AND LIQUORS.IT WOULD'VE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ALL THE SURROUNDING STORES AT ALL FOUR STORES.
UM, I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW THE OTHER STORES WELL ENOUGH TO TELL YOU.
WILL THEY S SUCCEED? I CAN TELL YOU THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WITH ALMOST CERTAINTY THAT, UH, MR. SHEEN'S STORE WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS IN NO TIME.
I, I JUST WANT TO CLEAR, MAKE IT CLEAR, SINCE ANNUNCIATION IS IMPORTANT, YOU'RE NOT SAYING SHEEN, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I, MY LAST NAME IS SHEEN, AND YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE SAYING SHEEL.
SHE, SHE KNEW, SHE KNEW, SHE KNEW SHE JOSEPH.
IT'S JUST, UH, THE WAY RECORDINGS GO.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I I HAVE NO ASSOCIATION WITH ANY OF THESE BUSINESSES.
UH, YOU SAID SOME VERY NICE THINGS ABOUT THE PERSON, UH, BUT I STILL WANNA MAKE THE DISTINCTION THAT IT'S NOT ME.
WELL, AGAIN, I, I, AND IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE HARSH, AND, AND IT UPSETS ME WHEN I SEE PEOPLE, UH, WHEN I SEE APPLICANTS THAT, UH, PLAY THE GAME.
AND IN MY OPINION, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CATCHPHRASES THAT WERE USED.
THERE WERE, UH, TWISTING OF DOCUMENTS, TWISTING OF, UH, DATA.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, SUPERVISOR'S ORIGINAL LETTER TO CALL OUT A LETTER OF SUPPORT IS ABSURD.
UH, UH, SO, UM, WHEREAS HE'S VERY CLEAR NOW, WHAT ALSO HAPPENED WAS WE WERE SCHEDULED TO, IT WAS, UH, THE FATE OF THE VOTE OF THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY SEEMED TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON SUPERVISOR FINDER'S DECISION, WHETHER OR NOT HE SUPPORTED IT OR OPPOSED IT.
AND, UM, I WAS ABLE TO GET A LETTER, UH, FROM THE SUPERVISOR LATER IN THAT DAY.
SO THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ONE PURPOSE OF GETTING THAT LETTER.
AND THAT WAS MADE CLEAR BY THE CHAIR, LILY F SHE SAID, WE'LL GET THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE IT.
SO, AND I EVEN REITERATED THAT THE LAST MEETING, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER THINGS CONSIDERED EXCEPT THAT LETTER.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS, WHAT WAS THE DATE, WHAT WAS THE DATE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? THAT THEIR HEARING WAS HELD 16TH, AUGUST 16TH.
AND WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MEETING OF WHAT COMMITTEE? CAN YOU PLEASE LET EVERYONE KNOW? OH, I'M SORRY.
IN FRONT OF THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
SO THE INITIAL, THE INITIAL LETTER OF, OF SUPPORT WENT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY FROM YOU, PAUL AND LETTER.
AND THEN YOUR RETRACTION DID THAT, WENT TO LIQUOR AUTHORITY, ALSO WENT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY VIA EMAIL, NOT VIA EMAIL.
AND THEN, AND, AND, AND, AND SO, UM, THE, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT FIRST I WROTE A LETTER, UM, UH, THAT, UH, TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
THEN, UM, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I GOT SOME CALLS FROM NEIGHBORS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED MM-HMM.
YOU SAID THAT THEY OBJECTED TO IT.
UH, THEN I GOT A CALL, I FORGOT IF IT WAS YOU OR YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAYING THAT IT WASN'T A STRONG, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY FELT MY LETTER WASN'T STRONG.
THE FIR THE FIRST ONE, THEY WANTED ME TO WRITE A STRONGER LETTER, BUT I HAD ALREADY HEARD FROM RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SAID THEY OBJECTED.
AND THEN I SORT OF FIGURED THAT SINCE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WAS SEEKING, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION, RATHER THAN NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE SITE, BUT THEY WANT TO DESTROY.
THEY SAID, IF I DON'T WRITE A STRONGER LETTER, THEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA, THEY MAY NOT APPROVE.
THAT WAS, I THINK, THE, THE CONVERSATION I HAD.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF GETTING A LICENSE THAT THE TOWN SUPERVISOR AND THE TOWN SUPPORTS THE BUSINESS.
NO, IT WAS JUST AN NO, IT, IT, IT CAN HELP.
WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE JAN, THE JULY 26TH LETTER.
IT WASN'T COPIED TO US OR FORWARDED TO ME.
AND, AND WE WERE SURPRISED TO GET TO HEAR ABOUT THAT LETTER, THE EMAIL.
SO WHO'S VINCENT BRADLEY? UH, HE WAS THE COMMISSIONER.
I THINK HE WAS THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE STATE CHAIR.
OH, THIS IS ADDRESSED THOUGH, WITH MR. VINCENT G. BRADLEY.
HE WAS THE CHAIR OF THE NEW HUNDRED 25TH STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK AT THE TIME THAT THAT WAS MADE.
UM, BRADLEY WAS THE CHAIRPERSON.
BUT THERE'S NO TITLE, THERE'S NOTHING.
AND THE OTHER ONE WAS A, AN EMAIL CRITERIA.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I, I'M WONDERING LIKE, WHAT CRITERIA HAVE THEY USED IN THE PAST TO, UH, APPROVE OR REJECT, YOU KNOW, AN APP, AN APPLICATION? YOU KNOW, IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS COMPETITION GENERALLY A FACTOR? DID YOU ASK
[00:30:01]
THE STATE? NO.I'M JUST WONDER, ASK THE STATE.
ARE YOU ASKING THEM TO TELL YOU? I DON'T DUNNO WHAT THE CRITERIA IS.
DO THEY HAVE, IS IT JUST SO YOU KNOW.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA, THE, THE REGULATIONS SPEAK TO THAT MR. SUPERVISOR.
BUT ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS IS PUBLIC CONVENIENCE, WHICH IS WHY WE COMMENTED ABOUT THE CONVENIENCE OF HAVING THIS STORE NEXT TO THE SHOPRITE.
BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A KEY FOCUS.
AND, AND PUBLIC, PUBLIC CONVENIENCE.
THEY ARGUED
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD NOT, UH, THAT WOULDN'T FLY.
UM, IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ADD UP PUBLIC CONVENIENCE, WHAT WILL IT DO TO THE SURROUNDING STORES? THAT'S PART OF THE FORMULA THAT'S CALCULATED BY THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, UH, FOR DECADES.
AND THEY WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE PROXIMITY OF THE FOUR CLOSEST STORES.
AND THE SALES FIGURES ARE THE FOUR CLOSEST STORES AND THE SIZE OF THE FOUR CLOSEST STORES.
AND LILY FAN CHAIR, THE CHAIR FAN.
FIRST THING LILY DEFEND THE CHAIRPERSON, UH, MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT SHE JUST WANTED TO A CLARIFICATION OF SUPERVISOR BYS POSITION.
AND WE WERE GIVEN TILL AUGUST 16TH TO SUBMIT THAT WE DID.
IT WAS FOIBLE, IT WAS SEARCHABLE.
BUT IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, THE PROPER METHOD.
UM, THE FACT THAT THEY COULDN'T GET, THAT THIS MEETING OCCURRED TODAY ON THE 22ND PRECIPITATED, MADE IT NECESSARY FOR THEM TO CANCEL, IN MY OPINION.
THAT'S WHY THEY CANCELED THE LAST MEETING.
TOOK AN ADJOURNMENT IN ORDER TO TRY AND GET THIS IN, SORT OF IN THE BACK WAY.
I DON'T KNOW, UNDERSTAND HOW YOU SAY THE BACK WAY, IF IT'S THE COMMISSIONER WAS ASKING FOR IT.
WELL, NO, THE COMMISSIONER ASKED FOR, UH, SUPERVISOR FINDER'S POSITION.
WE GAVE IT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY PRIOR TO THE AUGUST 16TH MEETING.
MATTER OF FACT, I GAVE IT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 26TH.
SO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY HAD THAT IN THEIR POSSESSION.
AND THEY WERE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 16TH TO GO BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
AND WE WERE GOING TO SAY, HERE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, UH, SUPERVISOR FINDER'S POSITION.
YOU DECIDE, BUT THEY WANT, THEY KNEW.
AND YOU KNOW, MATT, MATT, IF I COULD, WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT YOU HAD THE SUPERVISOR FINDER'S LETTER AND YOU SUBMITTED IT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
SO, SO IT WAS SENT TO YOU AND THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, WHO DID, WHO DID THE SUPERVISOR SEND IT TO? 'CAUSE IT'S AN EMAIL AND IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S WORKING THROUGH YOU.
I BELIEVE IT WAS SENT TO THE AUTHORITY AND MYSELF.
I VOTED, I THINK I SENT THE AUTHORITY TO BE, I RECALL CONSIDERED FOR THE HEARING.
I THINK WE SENT A LETTER ON MY STATIONARY, UM, UH, IN JUNE.
AND YOU CAN, AND, AND TO SUPERVISOR FINDER'S CREDIT, UM, HE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING, IN MY OPINION, HE LOOKED AT THE HISTORY, THE IMPACT WOULD BE ON THE SURROUNDING STORES.
SO WHEN YOU SUBMITTED, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SENT THE FIRST LETTER, YOU, YOU DIDN'T TALK TO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU SENT THE FIRST LETTER? NO, BECAUSE I BASICALLY, UH, FELT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A VACANT STORE, YOU KNOW, I, I NEVER OBJECT TO.
AND HAS THAT OPINION CHANGED ABOUT SINCE THERE'S A VACANT STORE? SOMEBODY SHOULD BE IN IT NOW, THEN I HEARD THAT IT COULD RESULT IN MORE VACANCIES ON, ON THIS, ON THE NINE, IN THE NINE A, YOU KNOW, IN SOME RIVER ROAD.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS. WE HAVE HERE, PAUL, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS. WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS, UH, IS ON GREEN.
SO BASICALLY INITIALLY, YEAH, I HAVE NO, HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO ANY STORE OPENING UP WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO, UM, WRITE A LETTER, YOU KNOW, I SAID, YEAH, I WASN'T REALLY AS IF THIS IS ANOTHER STORE AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO CREATE MORE BUSINESS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO WERE YOU AWARE THAT IT WAS A LIQUOR STORE THAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO OPEN WHEN THEY CAME TO YOU? INITIALLY YEAH, BUT I WASN'T AWARE OF THE EXISTING
SO THEN, THEN WHEN I HEARD FROM RESIDENTS WHO COMPLAINED, BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY, HOW MANY RESIDENTS DID YOU HEAR FROM? IT WAS PROBABLY, I'D SAY MAYBE
[00:35:03]
A HALF A DOZEN, OR, YOU KNOW, WHICH SIX, PROBABLY SIX, SEVEN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE SURE.
AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE CONCERNS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I'D GO AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'D ASK PEOPLE, AND THEY SAID THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
SO THEN, UH, SINCE AGAIN, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WASN'T ASKING ME FOR VETO, THEY WERE ASKING ME FOR MY OPINION.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF VACANCIES THERE.
SO I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, VACANT STORE THERE WHEN I KNOW THAT THE SHOPRITE IS GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT'S NEW.
IT'S A, IT, IT'S DEFINITELY A GREAT LOCATION FOR ANY BUSINESS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DESTINATION POINT.
BUT WHAT IT DOES FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES IS GONNA BE, UM, IT'S GONNA BE NEGATIVE.
AND I WOULD RA I PERSONALLY, FROM A PO A POLICY, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, ANTI LIQUOR STORE OR ANTI COMPETITION.
I JUST, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SEE SAWMILL RIVER ROAD, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THERE, YOU KNOW, HURT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE AL AND I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS, SINCE I'VE BEEN SUPERVISOR, I'VE, I'VE, I BASICALLY HAVE SAID THE SAME THING ALWAYS.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANNA HURT ANY EXISTING BUSINESS.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY FEELING.
MR. SUPERVISOR, WHAT WERE THE CONCERNS OF THE HALF DOZEN RESIDENTS? BECAUSE WE HAVE, WERE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING YEAH.
AND I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK MY RECOLLECTION WAS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T WANNA HURT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER BUSINESSES.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST, THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I SPENT HOURS AND HOURS ON, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS SOMETHING WHERE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITIES SAID, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? YOU GIVE US YOUR OPINION.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THE HALF DOZEN PEOPLE THAT CONTACTED YOU HAD ANY RELATIONSHIP TO THESE EXISTING BUSINESSES OR NOT? THEY SAID THEY, THEY, THEY'VE, THEY PATRONIZED IT.
SOME OF THEM, THE EXISTING, THEY PATRONIZED THE EXISTING BUSINESSES.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MY CON CONVERSATIONS LISTED MAYBE A MINUTE, YOU KNOW, PER PERSON WHO CONTACTED ME.
IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, LENGTHY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS AND, AND PEOPLE IN THAT, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STREET, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT, UH, DOWNTOWN DIFFICULT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES, BUSINESS AREA DISTRICTS IN, IN THE WHOLE TOWN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT THE MOST ATTRACTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, STREET FOR BUSINESSES.
IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S VACA THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A LOT OF VACANCIES THERE.
BUT WHAT, WHAT'S HAP I'M SORRY, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS SINCE, SINCE, SINCE YOU WENT AHEAD AND GAVE A LETTER, RIGHT? AND THEN CHANGED YOUR POSITION, YOU NOW HAVE BECOME THE FULCRUM OF WHETHER THEY GET THEIR LICENSE, VERSUS IF YOU HAD JUST DECLINED INITIALLY, THEN THE ISSUE WOULDN'T HAVE COME UP.
IS THAT THE WAY I READ THIS SITUATION? I THINK THAT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING THAT IS OFTEN SOLICITED.
AND, AND THE, THE REASON WE'RE BEFORE THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD IS SUPERVISOR FINDER'S POSITION, ALBEIT HAVING CHANGED, SUGGESTED IT'S THE POSITION OF THE TOWN RATHER THAN HIS OWN PERSONAL POSITION.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO GET THE POSITION OF THE TOWN WITH REGARD TO IT.
AND JUST AS FAR AS THAT GOES, UM, IN NEW YORK STATE, THE COURTS HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROTECTION OF EXISTING STORES IS NOT A VALID REASON TO DENY A LICENSE.
SO IF THE ISSUE ISN'T THAT THE LOCATION OF A, OF A LIQUOR STORE IN THIS PLACE WOULD BE INCONVENIENT OR WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE COMMUNITY, THEN I QUESTION WHY THE TOWN SHOULD NOT SUPPORT ANOTHER BUSINESS COMING IN, PARTICULARLY ONE WITH AN APPROACH THAT LOOKS TO BRING IN, UM, PRODUCTS THAT AREN'T READILY AVAILABLE AND READILY IDENTIFIABLE THAT MIGHT MEET, UM, CONCERNS AND INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO A STORE THAT WANTED TO OPEN
OUR CLIENTS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH VENDORS OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE COUNTRY IN AN INTEREST IN BRINGING IN PRODUCTS THAT MEET THE CATEGORIES THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
[00:40:01]
NOT BE READILY AVAILABLE IN OTHER STORES.SOMETHING DISTINCTIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE A DRAW.
AND AS WAS SAID, THAT MIGHT BRING PEOPLE IN WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE SHOPPING IN THE COMMUNITY, WHO MIGHT BRING TAX DOLLARS, WHO MIGHT BRING REVENUES THAT WOULD SUPPORT EMPLOYEES FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO'D BE WORKING THERE.
AND WE THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND BENEFICIAL OVERALL TO THE CENTER.
YOU KNOW, EMPTY STORES IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AT THE SHOPRITE CENTER AS WELL.
IF WE CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT TENANT FOR THE SPACE THAT'S THERE, UM, THESE KIND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE OCCUPYING A PORTION OF THE SPACE.
AND THE TRADITIONAL SORT OF USES AT, AT A SUPERMARKET ARE LIQUOR STORE, UM, DRY, CLEAN, UM, DRY CLEANER, OR, OR CLEANERS, LAUNDROMATS, THAT SORT OF THING.
ALL OF THOSE USES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE AREA.
OTHERWISE, UM, THEY WOULD, WHATEVER WOULD BE PUT IN, IN MOST ANY OF THESE STORES, LIKELY WOULD COMPETE WITH OTHER STORES ALREADY IN THE AREA.
SO, GIVEN THE COURT'S POSITION THAT COMPETITION IS NOT A BASIS FOR DENIAL OF A LIQUOR LICENSE.
I DON'T SEE WHY THAT SHOULD BE THE, THE, THE REASON THE RATIONALE FOR, FOR THIS AND, AND COMPETITION IN MOST BUSINESSES IS HEALTHY.
IT'S, IT'S ENCOURAGED IN OUR, UM, ECONOMIC SYSTEM.
AND, UM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE SUPPORTIVE, UH, OF, OF OUR CLIENTS AND, AND ENABLE THEM TO ESTABLISH A NEW BUSINESS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT C CAN I SAY SOMETHING? THE, THIS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD AND MYSELF, WE'RE NOT THE DECISION MAKERS ON THIS.
US IN A POSITION THOUGH, WHERE, WHERE WE ARE NOW, COULD BE A SIDE FACTOR.
BUT I'M SAYING WHEREAS SHOULDN'T NO, NO, BUT LET, LEMME JUST SAY, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
IF THE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE EACH, THERE'S FIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD WHO WEREN'T, WHO WEREN'T, WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INITIAL LETTER THAT YOU SENT.
YOU HAD DISCUSSED WITH US INITIALLY, LIKE, MAYBE WE COULD HELP YOU OUT HERE.
BUT, BUT LEMME SAY, LET ME SAY, I THEN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THAT, UH, THIS GO BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I, WHEN YOU WROTE TO ME, YEAH, BUT LEMME SAY BARN AT THIS POINT.
THEY ALREADY WENT BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
IT'S, IT'S BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
NOW THE BOARD BASICALLY HAS A COUPLE OPTIONS.
YOU COULD EITHER SUPPORT IT, YOU COULD BASICALLY SAY NOTHING AND LET THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, DECIDE.
UH, OR YOU COULD SAY WE'RE AGAINST IT.
IT'S, THERE'S FIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, AND WHATEVER THE BOARD WANTS TO DO IS, IS FINE.
I STILL AM CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT A BUSINESS GOING OUT NOW THAT MAY NOT BE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IF THEY KNOW THE REASONS FOR MY CONCERN, BECAUSE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.
IT'S BASICALLY JUST, I DON'T WANNA CAUSE A BUSINESS TO GO, AN EXISTING BUSINESS TO GO UNDER.
THEY MAY SAY, MY OBJECTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE, SHOULD NOT BE A FACTOR.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY MAY SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAWMILL RIVER ROAD, THE BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S A VALID, VALID POINT.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT MAKING, THIS IS NOT A LEGAL ARGUMENT.
I'M, THEY ASKED ME FOR MY PERSONAL OPINION, DO I WANT THIS STORE WHERE I DON'T? AND I GAVE THEM MY, MY VIEWS, NO, WE ARE IN THERE SAYS IT'S PERSONAL.
IT, IT FEELS LIKE, NO, BECAUSE I TAKEN ON BEHALF OF ALL THAT.
WELL, THEY, THEY, I'M SURE OUR MEETING IS BEING TELEVISED.
SO THEY'LL, THEY, THEY COULD LISTEN TO THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION IF THEY WANT.
THE, THE ISSUE I'M HAVING IS, AND I'M TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT 'CAUSE I DO RECALL THERE BEING WHAT WAS DEEMED TO BE BASICALLY A NEUTRAL LETTER SENT, WHICH IS THE JANUARY LETTER, AND THEN A REQUEST FOR SOMETHING STRONGER.
UH, AT NO POINT IT WAS TO WRITE A LETTER OF OPPOSITION.
WHAT I'M, I'M, AND I'M JUST GOING BY EMAILS HERE.
UH, AND IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING, WHEN YOU GOT TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, YOU WERE SURPRISED THAT THE, THE CHANGE THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THESE EMAILS, BECAUSE THE SUPERVISOR, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS POSITION, UH, AFTER GETTING AN EMAIL FROM A RESIDENT WHO, WHO I, I KNOW AND I RESPECT, UH, UM, CONSIDERABLY, UM, SHE WAS CONCERNED IN THAT EMAIL, WHICH WE DO HAVE IN APRIL.
IT'S THE ONLY EMAIL THAT WE HAVE.
IS THAT, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT COPIED ON ANY OF THIS STUFF.
OTHER THAN THAT, UH, WAS THAT CONCERN ABOUT, UH, IMPACTS ON OTHER BUSINESSES, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN.
[00:45:03]
PAUL IS SOLELY WRITING BACK AND FORTH TO MR. ROMANO NOT COPYING YOU AND THEN, OR US.AND THEN YOU SHOW UP AT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY, AND MR. ROMANO IS PRESENTING.
THE SUPERVISOR'S CHANGE AN OPINION WHERE IF I WAS THE COMMISSIONER, I WOULD TRULY WANT TO KNOW WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR OPINION? AND AS COUNCILMAN JONES HAD SAID, IF THE SUPERVISOR TOOK NO POSITION IN JANUARY, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER OFF.
BUT NOW IT'S A FLIP FOR SUPPORT TO NON-SUPPORT.
THERE'S NO WAY THEY CAN IGNORE THAT.
SO NOW YOU, YOU'RE BEFORE US, WE'RE LOOKING ALL AT ALL THIS FRESH AND NOW SEEING EMAILS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
'CAUSE WE WEREN'T COPIED ON THEM, UH, AS, AND YOU WEREN'T EITHER.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT IS IT THAT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS ACTUALLY ASKING FROM A MUNICIPALITY? UH, WHAT IS THE WORDING? WHAT'S THE LANGUAGE? NOT PARAPHRASE, BUT I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT IS IT THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR A MUNICIPALITY? UM, SO THAT WE COULD THEN JUDGE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO OPINE OR NOT.
I, I JUST FOUND, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T PART, I JUST FOUND, UH, AN EMAIL, UH, SENT APRIL 11TH, 2023.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I JUST REFERENC.
BUT I, I WROTE TO JOAN, UH, AK ON APRIL, UH, LATE APRIL 11TH.
I SAID, JOAN, PLEASE PUT ON WORK SESSION FOR NEXT WEEK.
WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO ALSO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE MEETING.
AND THEN I SAID, UM, UH, PLEASE GIVE BARBARA ADVANCE NOTICE OF, UH, TIME.
UM, SO I DID, SO THE TOWN BOARD WAS AWARE OF, UM, OF THIS ISSUE WAY BACK IN APRIL BECAUSE I SENT
NO, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT YOU ONLY SAID PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, BUT THE THING IS, RIGHT.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, TO SAY THAT YOU WEREN'T AWARE, PAUL, TO FIND THE EMAIL THAT YOU WROTE TO US ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO CHANGE YOUR DECISION.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? ALL I'M SAYING, I NO, NO, PAUL, THERE IS NOTHING.
I ALREADY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT PLAYING SOLITAIRE WHEN I HAVE MY COMPUTER IN FRONT OF ME.
I HAVE MY COMPUTER ON THIS IS NEWS'S NAME, AND IT DOESN'T COME UP AT ALL.
NO, BUT ALL I'M, ALL I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW IS THEY ASKED FOR MY OPINION, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR THE TOWN'S OPINION.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO GIVE MY OPINION.
SO THE THING IS, WHY DID THEY DO THAT? WHY DID THEY SINGLE OUT THE SUPERVISOR FOR AN OPINION? SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY SINGLED OUT THE SUPERVISOR FOR AN OPINION.
WE ASKED THE SUPERVISOR FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT BACK IN DECEMBER, AND THE SUPERVISOR WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE US WITH WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE, MAYBE NOT A ROBUST LETTER OF SUPPORT, BUT A LETTER OF SUPPORT, RIGHT.
WELCOMING US TO GREENBERG, WELCOMING TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I DID GO ASK GARRETT, WHO, I'D GARRETT TO KAIN WHO I'D CONTACTED ABOUT THIS LETTER MM-HMM.
AND I WAS TOLD NO, THAT WAS WHAT WAS GONNA BE FORTHCOMING.
I DID NOT SPEAK WITH SUPERVISOR FINER DIRECTLY, UH, AFTER SEEING THE JULY 26TH EMAIL AND HEARING FROM OUR CLIENTS.
AND WHEN WAS THAT? UH, LAST WEEK OR, OR SO, UM, AFTER THE AUGUST 16TH HEARING, I, UM, WROTE, YOU HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT GOING INTO THE HEARING? NO, NO, NO.
AND I WASN'T, I DON'T REPRESENT THEM BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE.
UM, BUT I, I REACHED OUT TO SUPERVISOR FINER AND ASKED, CALLED HIM, UH, AND LEFT A ME WELL, I WAS GONNA LEAVE A MESSAGE.
UM, AND, AND I, I ASKED BY EMAIL IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO MEET WITH OUR CLIENTS TO DISCUSS HIS OPPOSITION.
UM, AND WE ARE, WE'RE HERE NOW.
SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE NOW AND TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
BUT I THINK THAT THE ISSUE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS BELIEVING THAT IT HAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG'S POSITION ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS LIQUOR STORE WOULD BE WELCOME.
AND OUR REQUEST IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, THAT YOU VOICE IT.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS ASKING FOR THAT OPINION, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT OPINION.
AND LET ME JUST READ, SO YOU WERE, YOU WERE SAYING, UH, WHEN YOU FIRST ASKED THE SUPERVISOR, YOU WERE ASKING TO EXPRESS THE TOWN'S POSITION OR THE SUPERVISOR? NO, MY POSITION, WELL, I NOW I DIDN'T ASK YOU.
I, I, I ASKED THE PEOPLE,
IT WAS ALWAYS FROM MY PERSONAL OPINION, BUT, BUT I DID NOT ASK, I WOULD NOT BE ASKING TYPICALLY FOR A PERSONAL OPINION,
[00:50:01]
IT WOULD BE IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.BUT I, I, FIRST OF ALL, I I, I'M NOT EVER GONNA SAY THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THE BOARD DISAGREES WITH ME ON MANY, MANY THINGS.
SO THE THING IS, I'M NOT GONNA REPRESENT THAT I'M SPEAKING FOR THE TOWN, UM, WHEN I'M SIGNING MY NAME, UH, IF I'M SPEAKING FOR THE TOWN AS A, AS A TOWN BOARD, I WOULD BASICALLY SAY I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN BOARD.
BUT JUST SO THIS WAY, UM, IT'S ON THE RECORD BECAUSE KEN ASKED ME WHAT THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH BARBARA JACOBS WAS, SHE SAID, THIS WAS THE LETTER APRIL 11TH, 2023.
PAUL, I REMEMBER BEING TOLD THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE A RESTAURANT NEAR SHOPRITE.
I'M OPPOSED TO A LIQUOR STORE.
THERE IS A LIQUOR STORE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF SHOPRITE.
IN FACT, THAT STORE WAS LOCATED IN THE SHOPRITE LOCATION AND HOW TO MOVE.
THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE OTHER LIQUOR STORES WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE TO THREE MILES OF SHOPRITE.
THE AREA IS MORE THAN AMPLY SERVED, AND A NEW, MUCH LARGER STORE WILL ABSOLUTELY TAKE AWAY BUSINESS FROM THE OTHER, UM, LOCATIONS.
THE LETTER FROM THE PEOPLE WHO DESIRE TO OPEN THE NEW STORE IS DISINGENUOUS.
I URGE THE TOWN TO SEND A LETTER IN OPPOSITION TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
I INTEND TO SEND A LETTER DOING JUST, UH, THAT AND WILL ENCOURAGE MY NEIGHBORS TO DO THE SAME.
YOU KNOW, BARBARA JACOBS, THAT WAS THE LETTER.
WHAT CAUSED THAT LETTER TO BE WRITTEN? UH, SHE, UH, SHE WROTE, UH, NO, YOU WROTE TO HER.
I, I, I DON'T, SHE, WELL, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
SHE, WAIT, YOU WROTE TO HER AND ASKED HER, YOU SOLICITED THAT OPINION? I DON'T, NO.
I AFTER THE, AFTER YOU HAD, AFTER YOU HAD WRITTEN, NO, I THINK THE LETTER OF, I THINK SHE PASS SUPPORT TO THE COMPANY.
I THINK I FORGET THE, UH, YOU KNOW HOW I GOT THE LETTER.
BUT I THINK, BUT AGAIN, ALL I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW IS IF THE BOARD DECIDES THAT YOU WANNA SUPPORT THE LIQUOR STORE, THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE.
I HAVE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AS A BOARD TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.
JUST LIKE I HAD EXPRESSED MYSELF.
EVERY ONE OF YOU, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH ME.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU, THIS IS NOT A DICTATORSHIP.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK THAT THE LIQUOR STORE SHOULD BE THERE, UH, COMMENT.
WE HAVE THE, BUT IF WE DECIDE THAT THE LIQUOR, WE THINK LIQUOR STORE SHOULD BE THERE, AND YOU DON'T WANT THE LIQUOR STORE TO BE THERE, THAT WHOLE CONTROVERSY IS NOW IN FRONT OF THE NEW YORK STATE LIQUOR.
THE LIQUOR NEED NOT HAVE TO LET, BUT LET THE LIQUOR
THE, THE, THIS IS, THERE'S NO GOVERNMENT BODY WHERE EVERYBODY AGREES ON EVERYTHING.
SO THEY COULD LISTEN TO THIS CONVERSATION, THEY COULD HEAR ALL SIDES, AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE THEIR DECISION.
THEY'LL SEE THAT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE FOR IT.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE AGAINST IT, AND THEN THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION JUST LIKE THEY DO WITH ALL LIQUOR APPLICATIONS.
AND I, I DON'T THINK, I THINK THAT'S THE FAIREST THING.
SO AGAIN, ANYBODY ON THE BOARD FEEL FREE, WRITE A LETTER TO THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
IF THE BOARD WANTS TO PASS A RESOLUTION OBJECT TO OVERRULING MY VIEWS.
BUT THIS WAS WRITTEN FROM ON THE TOWN STATIONARY, SO IT WASN'T YOUR PERSONAL DECISION.
I, YOU KNOW WHAT PERSONAL IT WAS? YOU, IT YOU WERE WRITING ON BEHALF? NO, IT'S, I I, I HAVE ALWAYS, I, FOR, FOR, SINCE I'VE BEEN TOWN SUPERVISOR, I HAVE ALWAY.
EVERYTHING I WRITE IS BASICALLY, UH, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M, WHEN I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THE, UH, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND WORKING ON THAT, YOU KNOW, I PUT IT ON MY STATIONARY.
I'M DOING IT ON, YOU KNOW, ON MY, ON MY OWN BEHALF.
YOU KNOW, I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I'M JUST LIKE, EVERY, JUST LIKE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TAKES STANDS, THE GOVERNOR TAKES STANDS, UH, THAT MAY DIFFER WITH SOME OF THE STATE LEGISLATURES CAN
AND, YOU KNOW, AND NOBODY COULD CENSOR, SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO CENSOR MY ABILITY TO EXPRESS MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS.
MR. MR. MO, I, I KNOW, I APOLOGIZE.
YOU MAY HAVE SHOWN THE LETTER THAT YOUS, UM, WROTE TO PAUL BACK IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY, WHATEVER.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE IT? I WAS LOOKING, ACTUALLY, I DO HAVE IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, THAT THE LETTER THAT SUPERVISOR FINER SENT WAS, UH, ON LETTERHEAD THAT SAYS TOWN OF GREENBURG.
OH, THAT OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR.
SO IT'S NOT, THATS WHAT HAVE, RIGHT, BUT THAT, THAT LETTER HAS THE, A DIFFERENT SEAL ON IT THAN THIS ONE, THIS LETTER.
OH, REALLY? WELL, ONE IS IN COLOR, ONE'S IN COLOR, ONE'S NOT.
MY, MY LETTER, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO, THERE'S NO REAL, I DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE COPIES OF MY LETTER, BUT I, I JUST WANT MY LETTER.
I PROMISE I WILL GIVE IT BACK.
MY LETTER WAS ADDRESSED TO THE SU I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.
I'M LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL, MY, MY LETTER WAS ADDRESSED TO THE SUPERVISOR AND IT, AND IT SAID WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT.
I DID NOT WRITE IT TO THE SUPERVISOR AND THE TOWN BOARD.
[00:55:01]
I COULD HAVE, BUT, BUT I DIDN'T.JUST TO BE ACCURATE, MAY YOU HAVE SOMEBODY YOU WANTED TO SPEAK.
I DIDN'T WANT IMPOSE, BUT I'M ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS, THE ATTORNEY FOR THE SECOND CLOSEST DOOR.
CAN YOU COME OFF MICROPHONE? YOU HAVE TO USE THE MICROPHONE.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND WHO, WHO YOU REPRESENT SPEAKING TO THE MAYOR.
I'M THE ATTORNEY FOR H C LIQUORS AT ONE 11 EAST MAIN STREET IN ELMSFORD.
IT'S ON THE OTHER SECTION OF ELMSFORD.
ELMSFORD IS ONLY A SMALL VILLAGE OF ONE SQUARE MILE.
UH, AND I JUST FELT THAT THERE WERE OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT I COULD ADD TO ALL OF THIS TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT SOMEWHAT EASIER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE, IF IT'S OPEN FOR ME.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS NO NEFARIOUS ACTIVITY BY THE APPLICANTS HERE ABOUT CHANGING AUGUST 16TH.
THE REASON WHY THE AUGUST 16TH DATE WAS ADJOURNED WAS BECAUSE WE GOT INTO A LITTLE CONFLICT OR CONTENTIOUS DISCUSSION AT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY AS TO, UH, SUPERVISE FINDER'S LETTER, THE ORIGINAL ONE AND THE OTHER ONE, UH, THE UH, FULL BOARD, WHICH MEETS AT THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY HAS A CALENDAR OF ABOUT 120 MATTERS.
AND WHAT THEY DID WAS, UM, THERE WAS A REQUEST TO SEE IF, UH, MR. ROMANO COULD CONTACT, UH, MR. FINER WITH REGARDS TO, UM, THIS, UH, NEW LETTER THAT WAS, THAT HAD BEEN SENT.
SO WE WERE PUT ON SECOND CALL.
UH, THE PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND CALL IS THAT, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S ENORMOUS NUMBER OF CASES.
WE WERE GOING WELL AFTER THE NOON TIME, AND I HAD A HOSPITAL, UH, APPOINTMENT THAT I HAD TO MAKE.
AND IT WAS FROM GOING FROM MANHATTAN ALL THE WAY TO, UH, WESTCHESTER.
SO I'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR 50 YEARS IN FRONT OF THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY ON STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY MATTERS, MATTERS.
SO I'M PRETTY MUCH WELL KNOWN BY THE BOARD.
AND I DID APPROACH THEM AND I SAID, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS, UH, UH, RESPONSE IS GONNA COME BACK.
UH, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT IT BE ADJOURNED BECAUSE I DO HAVE A COMMITMENT AND, UM, I'M UNDER TREATMENT.
SO IT WAS DONE MORE AS A COURTESY FOR ME.
IT WASN'T ANY NEFARIOUS ATTEMPT BY, UH, BY THE APPLICANT.
SO I JUST WANT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS.
UH, AGAIN, THE TERM THAT THEY USE AT THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY DETERMINATION OF LIQUOR STORES IS WHAT THEY CALL PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND ADVANTAGE.
AND, UH, THAT THE APPLICANT'S ATTORNEY HAS SET THAT FORTH, BUT, UH, HE REALLY HASN'T DEFINED WHAT THAT IS, AND IT HAS BEEN REQUESTED.
WHAT DO THEY LOOK AT AT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WITH REGARDS TO NEW LIQUOR STORES.
ALL NEW LIQUOR STORES COME BEFORE THE FULL BOARD.
IT'S NOT A LICENSING COMMISSION THAT MAKES A DETERMINATION.
IT'S THE FULL BOARD, AND THEY DETERMINE ONE ISSUE AND ONE ISSUE ONLY PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND ADVANTAGE.
SO WHAT DO THEY MEAN BY THAT? WELL, IS THE AREA SATURATED WITH LIQUOR STORES OR BEING WELL SERVICED BY THE LIQUOR STORES THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY NECESSITY FOR A NEW STORE? OR IS THERE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN SALES OF LIQUOR AND IN POPULATION THAT MIGHT LEAD ONE TO BELIEVE THAT A LIQUOR STORE IS NECESSARY IN THIS AREA? SO I'M REPRESENTING MY CLIENT, UH, AS IN OPPOSITION TO THIS APPLICATION.
AGAIN, VERY, VERY NICE PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING.
APPARENTLY THEY DO HAVE SOME, UH, EXPERIENCE IN THE LIQUOR BUSINESS, BUT IT'S LOCATION THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY WHAT HAS TO BE DECIDED HERE.
UM, AND I HAVE A, FIRST OF ALL, AGAIN, THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD IS ONLY ONE SQUARE MILE.
YOU ALREADY HAVE TWO LIQUOR STORES WITHIN THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD THAT HAS A POPULATION OF 5,000.
AND AS THE SUPERVISOR SAID, ROUTE NINE, A SAW MILL RIVER ROAD AGAIN, I'VE LIVED IN WESTCHESTER FOR ALL, ALL MY LIFE IS HUGELY CONGESTED WITH ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TRUCK TRAFFIC.
MATTER OF FACT, THERE WAS ONE ARTICLE THAT THERE ARE CONSIDERED 20,000 CARS AND TRUCKS THAT GO THROUGH THAT AREA WITHIN ONE DAY.
AND THEN YOU GOT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH AMAZON
[01:00:01]
THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A WHOLE SLEW OF OTHER TRUCKS COMING THROUGH AND SAWMILL RIVER ROAD.AGAIN, WITH ALL THE YEARS, THE 60 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE, MY WIFE AND I ALWAYS USED TO GO TO THE MULTIPLEX THAT, UH, SHOPRITE TOOK OVER.
WE'D ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO GET AROUND, UH, NOT ACTUALLY GO THROUGH NINE A BECAUSE IT WAS, UH, UH, IT TOOK 25 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH THERE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT THE MOST CONVENIENT FOR THE STORES, AND THE FOUR STORES ARE BASICALLY BOUTIQUES.
BUT AS FAR AS A LIQUOR STORE IS CONCERNED, THERE ARE FOUR STORES THAT ARE, OH, I'M SORRY.
GOING BACK TO PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND ADVANTAGE.
SO THERE'S FOUR MAIN ISSUES THAT ARE LOOKED AT FOR PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND ADVANTAGE.
HOW CLOSE ARE THE OTHER FOUR STORES OR ADDITIONAL STORES TO THAT APPLICANT'S STORE? THE SECOND ONE IS SALES GROWTH.
THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY REQUESTS SALES FIGURES FROM ALL THE FOUR CLOSEST STORES TO SEE WHETHER SALES HAVE GONE UP TO SHOW WHETHER THERE'S ADDITIONAL DEMAND IN THE AREA, WHICH WOULD LEAD THEM TO APPROVE A NEW LIQUOR STORE.
UH, THE THE THIRD THING THAT THEY LOOK AT IS POPULATION GROWTH AND DENSITY.
AND IT HAS THE POPULATION INCREASED, WHICH WOULD ALSO INCREASE THE DEMAND FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
AND THE LAST THING IS, IS THE LIQUOR STORE THAT'S COMING IN GONNA HAVE A UNIQUE LINE OR A UNIQUE SERVICE THAT THE OTHER FOUR STORES DON'T SUPPLY TO THE COMMUNITY? NOW, COUNCIL WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT THEY DO NOT LOOK AT COMPETITION.
THEY DO NOT REALLY LOOK AT, AND IT'S PA BASICALLY, UH, UNDER THE, UM, BA, UH, CASE LAW OF THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY THAT YOU, YOU REALLY CANNOT LOOK AT COMPETITION, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO TO THE OTHER STORES.
SO I GO BACK TO THE FOUR ISSUES THAT REALLY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND I HAVE EIGHT, UH, EIGHT LIQUOR STORES WITHIN ONE, WITHIN 3.5 MILES OF THE APPLICANT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FOUR CLOSEST, THE ONE THAT, UH, IS REPRESENTED BY MR. ROMANO ELMSFORD, DISCOUNT LIQUORS WAS PART OF THE PLAZA THAT SHOPRITE IS IN RIGHT NOW.
THEY OPERATED THAT STORE IN THE PLAZA FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, THE ONLY REASON THEY LEFT WAS BECAUSE THE MULTIPLEX THEATER WAS TAKEN DOWN AND THE NEW SHOPRITE CAME IN.
UH, THEY UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO GO THROUGH A PERIOD WHERE THEY WERE CLOSED BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GET WHAT THEY CALL A REMOVAL, AND THEY GOT A REMOVAL 1100 FEET AWAY FROM WHERE THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY.
THEY SERVED THE SAME AREA THAT APPARENTLY THIS NEW APPLICANT WILL SERVE BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY, AS I SAY, 1100 FEET AWAY.
THEN, BESIDES ELMSFORD, DISCOUNT LIQUORS IS MY CLIENT, H N C LIQUORS, WHICH IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ELMSFORD.
BUT WHEN YOU SAY THE OTHER SIDE OF ELMSFORD, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE VILLAGE OF EL CERT IS ONLY ONE ONE SQUARE MILE.
SO IT'S, UH, LESS THAN A MILE AWAY.
HAVING SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF YOU GO DOWN PAST THAT DOWN SOUTH BROADWAY, ABOUT 1.2 MILES, YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER LIQUOR STORE CALLED DESTINATION LIQUORS.
NOW, DESTINATION LIQUORS IS ALMOST LIKE THE I, UH, UM, TWIN BROTHER OF SHOPRITE BECAUSE IT HAS A STOP AND SHOP.
AND THEN RIGHT NEXT TO IT, AND NEXT IS A LIQUOR STORE.
AND THE LIQUOR STORE IS 3000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN THE FOURTH CLOSEST STORE IS ON NORWOOD ROAD, UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AGAIN, AND NO, AND IT'S CALLED, UH, C N SS WINE AND LIQUOR, AND IT'S 2.5 MILES AWAY.
SO IT'S MY CONTENTION THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THESE VIABLE LIQUOR STORES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.
AND GIVEN THAT YOU THEN HAVE TO LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT ARE THE OTHER PER THE PARAMETERS BEING DISTANCED? SO I'VE ALREADY COVERED DISTANCE.
ONE STORE'S RIGHT ON TOP OF WHERE THE APPLICANT'S GONNA BE, 1100 FEET.
THOSE OF YOU 'CAUSE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG'S ENORMOUS.
THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T, UH, FAMILIAR WITH THIS, UH, SPOT, THIS STORE
YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THE STORE FROM NINE A.
ALL RIGHT? UM, AND, UH, MY, THE MR. ROMANO'S CLIENTS ARE RIGHT IN ON NINE A, AND THEY WERE THE PREVIOUS STORE THAT WAS
[01:05:01]
SUCCESSFULLY OPERATING IN THIS PLAZA, AND THEY WERE DISPERSED TO THIS NEW PLACE, ONLY 1100 FEET AWAY, IT SEEMS TO ME NOT.AND ALSO GOING TOWARDS SUPERVISOR FINER CONCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LIVED THROUGH COVID, BUT THEY DIDN'T JUST LIVE THROUGH COVID.
THEY LIVED THROUGH A REMOVAL ALSO WHERE THEY WERE OUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND THEY SURVIVED, AND THEY ARE DOING WELL, AND THEY'RE SERVICING THE PUBLIC.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR ANOTHER STORE TO BE 1100 FEET AWAY.
CAN I JUST ASK YOU A QUESTION? SO, SO BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT HIT ME, YOU KNOW, HARDEST WITH YOUR COMMENTS IS WE, DOES A TOWN HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CARE FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES? AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE TOWN.
WE SAY THAT WE WANNA SUPPORT OUR, THE BUSINESSES THAT THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
SO BASICALLY YOU HAD A LIQUOR STORE, UM, IN THIS COMPLEX, THE SAME, THE, THE COM THE, THE, BASICALLY THE SHOPRITE, YOU KNOW, COMPLEX.
THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, THEY WERE KICKED OUT BECAUSE OF SHOPRITE.
CORRECT? UM, AND THEN THEY DECIDE THEY WEREN'T WELL, THEY WERE, WELL, SHOPRIGHT WASN'T PRESENT.
NO, NO, BUT THEY REDEVELOPED BECAUSE THEY REDEVELOPED IT.
BUT THEY WERE KICKED OUT BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
THEY LEFT BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION WAS GOING ON.
NO, THEY HAD, THEY, THEY, THEY, THE LANDLORD FORCED A REBUT ALL THE BUSINESSES OUT AT THAT TIME, UH, BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO, IS THERE, DO THE CONSTRUCTION TO SUPPORT THAT.
WAIT, LET ME JUST SAY, LET ME SAY I'M, NO, I DON'T, I'M NOT INTERRUPTING ANYBODY.
SOMEBODY THAT SAYS THAT THEY WERE KICKED OUT.
I REMEMBER, UM, WHEN, UH, WHEN YOU CAME IN WITH A SHOPRITE APPLICATION, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF BUSINESSES IN THAT WHOLE COMPLEX, AND WE WERE TOLD, BECAUSE THE MERCHANT, THE SMALL BUSINESSES, THEY ALL WENT TO ME AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR LEASES ARE NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, RENEWED.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO BASICALLY YOU HAVE MATT, MATT, LEMME LEMME JUST SAY SOMETHING AND THEN YOU CAN FINISH.
SO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS THAT'S, UH, SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THEY WERE ASKED TO RELOCATE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHOPRITE.
THEY MOVED A, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF TWO BLOCKS AWAY BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A, A DECENT BUSINESS.
NOW, ANOTHER BUSINESS IS GOING TO THEIR FORMER LOCATION, UH, THE LOCATION THAT THEY HAVE SERVED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, AND NOW, UH, THAT BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, SO IN MY OPINION, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE FIRST RIGHT TO GO BACK TO THE EXISTING STORE BECAUSE BASICALLY THEY WERE THERE, YOU KNOW, FIRST.
BUT WE, BUT WE ARE NOW EMBROILED IN THIS WHOLE, NO, BUT THAT'S THIS WHOLE THING, THIS ALL THIS PRIVATE INDUSTRY DRAMA.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING, AND, AND, AND I, I, I FEEL AS THOUGH OUR, OUR OUR, YOU COULD CONSENT OR NON-CONSENT HAS NOW BECOME WAY BIGGER OF AN ISSUE THAN IT WOULD'VE BEEN IF WE HAD ALL JUST BEEN CONSULTED AND, AND SENT OUT THE FIRST LETTER.
I THOUGHT I DID, BECAUSE I DID ASK JOAN DOAK OUR, THE, IT WAS A JANUARY LETTER.
NO, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? SHE DIDN'T PUT IT ON.
DID SHE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA IN APRIL? PAUL FAX MATTER, THAT'S, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A JANUARY LETTER.
YOU ASKED HER TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
YOU'VE ALREADY SENT THE LETTER ACCORDING, DID SHE PUT IT ON AGENDA ACCORDING ANYTHING? DID SHE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, UH, THE THING IS, ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M NEUTRAL ON THIS.
I, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE LISTENED CAREFULLY AND YOU'VE MADE, EVERYONE HAS MADE GOOD POINTS.
BUT THE ONE THING, GOING BACK TO WHAT MR. LIN REFERENCED, HE KEPT REFERENCING ELMSFORD AS A SMALL VILLAGE OF 5,001 SQUARE MILE.
BUT THIS IS REALLY NOT ELMSFORD.
IT'S THE UN UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG.
MY QUESTION IS, AND I'M ASKING THE LEGAL LINES HERE, IS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE USING AS AN ARGUMENT, THE, THE PROXIMITY.
BUT IS THERE ANY, UM, IS THERE ANY PROBLEM WITH THERE BEING TWO SEPARATE MUNICIPALITIES, THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD AND THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF GREENBURG KNOWN AS ELMSFORD, THAT THAT
SO THE, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH NEUTRAL.
AGAIN, UH, THEY DON'T CARE WHETHER YOU CALL IT THE, THE VILLAGE OF, UH, ELMSFORD.
YOU COULD HAVE THE SITUATION OF DESTINATION LIQUORS, WHICH IS RIGHT AT THE, UH, RIGHT AT THE BOUNDARY OF TARRYTOWN AND ELMSFORD.
[01:10:01]
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE YOU HAVE THE TOWN OF, OF GREENBERG INVOLVED.SO THEY DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT CROSSING LINES OR CHANGING ZIP CODES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S AS THE CROW FLIES THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED.
BUT, BUT AS THE CROW, AS THE, AS THE CROW FLIES ISN'T THE WAY PEOPLE DRIVE, AS YOU DESCRIBED ALSO.
SO WHEN YOU, IF YOU WERE TO GO FROM THIS LOCATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO THE TAR, THE ELMSFORD TARRYTOWN LOCATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BY SHERATON HOTEL, IT COULD TAKE YOU 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO GET THERE.
I'VE DONE IT MANY, MANY TIMES.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT DEPENDS ON TRAFFIC AND IT DEPENDS ON ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
BUT YOU DON'T NORMALLY THINK ABOUT DRIVING FROM THERE TO THE SHERATON AND THE, AND THE STOP AND SHOP.
AT THE TIME THAT I WAS BEFORE THIS TOWN BOARD FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF WHAT WAS A CLOSED MULTIPLEX THAT WAS OUT OF BUSINESS AND HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO BE REUTILIZED AND A SIGNIFICANT RECONSTRUCTION AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT SITE, RAISING THE GRADE AND, AND A LONG PROCESS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED BRINGING IT IN COMPLIANCE, WE NEVER MENTIONED THE NAME OF THE SUPERMARKET.
SO THE IDEA THAT SHOPRITE KICKED OUT ANYBODY IS ACTUALLY NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE ITS NAME WAS NEVER MENTIONED UNTIL AFTER THE APPROVAL WAS IN PLACE.
NO, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
AND, AND THE REASON THAT THE SITE WAS VACATED WASN'T TO KICK KICK TENANTS OUT, IT WAS BECAUSE THE GRADE WAS BEING CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY AND NONE OF THE BUILDINGS WERE CONFORMING TO CURRENT BUILDING CODE OR OTHERWISE, AND THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
SO THERE WASN'T ANY INTENTION TO CAUSE ANY DETRIMENTAL IMPACT TO ANY OF THE TENANTS.
IT WAS AN INTEREST IN REDEVELOPING THE SITE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND TO MAKE IT MORE AADA A COMPLIANT, AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE SHOPPING CARTS DON'T ROLL DOWN NINE.
NO, I, I WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
AND THE POPULATION IN THE AREA, JUST TO MR. LYNN'S POINT HAS BEEN INCREASING OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS.
THERE THERE'VE BEEN, UM, A NUMBER OF RENTAL APARTMENT BUILDINGS BUILT IN THE AREA AND HOUSING, ET CETERA.
THEY'VE BEEN BUILT IN THE AREA.
AND, AND IT ISN'T UNUSUAL TO HAVE LIQUOR STORES THAT ARE NOT THAT FAR FROM ONE ANOTHER, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE A PREFERENCE TO, UM, SHOP WITH A PARTICULAR PURVEYOR OF, OF, OF THE STORE, OR JUST LIKE THEIR OTHER STORES DELIS THAT ARE NEAR ONE ANOTHER, ET CETERA.
UM, IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT THIS SPOT HAS A WIDE RANGE FROM RIGHT.
OF PEOPLE THAT IT APPEALS TO, RIGHT.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A STREET PRESENCE AS MR. LYNN NOTED.
SO IT'S ANYBODY WHO'S JUST DRIVING THROUGH AND LOOKING FOR A LIQUOR STORE ISN'T GONNA SEE THIS LIQUOR STORE.
THIS LIQUOR STORE IS, IS LOCATED WHERE IT'S CONVENIENT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BE AT SHOPRITE.
OF COURSE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT IT ONCE THEY SHOP THERE MAY RETURN.
HOPEFULLY THEY WOULD, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A DIRECT COMPETITIVE LOCATION AS FAR AS VISIBILITY GOES.
WAS, WAS ELMSFORD DISCOUNT LIQUORS PROHIBITED FROM GOING BACK? NO, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WE WERE, MR. ROMANO, ARE YOU AWARE OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A PROHIBITION FOR ELMSFORD DISCOUNT RECORDS? NO.
I THINK HE HAD TO MAKE, AND HE CAN ANSWER, UH, HE'S IN THE AUDIENCE THERE, BUT, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HE HAD TO GET BACK INTO BUSINESS AND HE, TIMING DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE AN OFFSITE LOCATION.
YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, JUST GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT HERE, AND WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PREMISE.
SO THE, AND, AND WE, WE GOT, WE BOARD MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, HOW THIS ALL EVOLVED AND, AND JUST LEARNING BACK NOW.
BUT, UM, THE POINT OF IT IS THAT IT IS THE STATE LIQUOR CLERK AUTHORITY THAT MAKES THE DECISION.
UM, IT WAS ASKED, I'M JUST RECAPPING AND SEEING IF I, IF I'M CLEAR WHAT BEING, WHAT IS BEING ASKED OF US.
UM, THE, THE SUPERVISOR WAS ASKED AND EXPRESSED, UM, IT EXPRESSED QUALIFIED SUPPORT, UH, GENERALIZED SUPPORT.
UM, AND HE THEN CHANGED THAT SEVERAL MONTHS LATER BASED ON INPUT THAT HE GOT FROM, FROM OTHERS.
IF WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, WE AS A BOARD, HE AS A SUPERVISOR, ARE NOT THE ONES MAKING THE FINAL DECISION.
HOW DOES IT COME UP TO THIS LEVEL
[01:15:01]
WHERE WE ARE, THE, THE SUPERVISOR'S OPINION IS MAKING SUCH, HAVING SUCH AN IMPACT AND WHERE OUR OPINION WITH, YOU KNOW, JESSIE LEARNING, UH, OF, OF A LOT OF THE FACTUAL, UM, INFORMATION NOW, UM, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THAT? SO WHY, WHAT ARE WE BEING ASKED TO DO AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? SO I I WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS TO SAY WHETHER YOU OBJECT, THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OBJECTION AND A, UH, A LETTER THAT SAYS THAT THE BUSINESS WOULD BE WELCOMED IS DRAMATIC.FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, A TOWN THAT OBJECTS TO A BUSINESS COMING IN IS TAKING A VERY STRONG POSITION.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS IF YOU ARE NOT TAKING THAT STRONG POSITION AS A TOWN, THAT YOU SAY SO, BECAUSE COMPETITION IS NOT THE BASIS FOR DENYING A LIQUOR LICENSE.
AND IT SEEMS THAT THAT IS THE PRIMARY BASIS THAT SUPERVISOR FINER USED FOR CHANGING HIS OPINION.
SO WE, WE, THE OTHER REMAINING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD COULD SIMPLY STATE THAT WE DO NOT OBJECT TO THE APPLICATION AND THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
I WOULD PREFER SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT YOU'D WELCOME THE BUSINESS, WHICH WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT SUPERVISOR FINER SAID INITIALLY.
UM, BUT SAYING THAT IT'S NOT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE TOWN TO OBJECT TO THIS LIQUOR STORE AND THAT YOU WOULD WELCOME THE LIQUOR STORE WOULD BE MEANINGFUL IN THIS INSTANCE.
AND I THINK, I HOPE ACCURATE IN THIS INSTANCE.
I'M HAVE TO SAY THAT WE ARE LEARNING A LOT OF INFORMATION NOW, SO WE'RE NOT CERTAINLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU ANY OPINE ON ANYTHING.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO DISCUSS WITHIN THE TITLE ATTORNEY BEFORE WE COULD EVEN MOVE FORWARD.
COULD YOU, UM, OPINE ON THE TIMELINE HERE? I UNDERSTAND, UM, AND YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL.
UH, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE HERE FOR US TO GET BACK TO YOU? I, I'M JUST TOLD, UH, SEPTEMBER 6TH IS THE NEXT, UH, APPEARANCE BEFORE THE LIQUOR AUTHORITIES.
SO THERE'S VERY, SORRY, SORRY.
SO IT'S SEPTEMBER 6TH AND WE NEED, UH, ANY FORMAL NOTICE OF WEEK, 10 DAYS BEFORE THAT, NOT 10 DAYS BEFORE THE, UH, FRIDAY BEFORE THAT, UP TO 2:00 PM OKAY.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE HOLIDAYS.
SO HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? IF YOU, IN MY WORDS, GOT AMBUSHED WITH THIS AT THE HEARING, HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOTICE IN, IN ADVANCE? IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
I'M REALLY TROUBLED BY THE WAY THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS COMING UP AT THAT HEARING.
THAT TROUBLES ME TREMENDOUSLY.
CAN I, CAN I ADDRESS? LEMME JUST FINISH.
WE HEARD, YOU KNOW, SPEECH ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO WELCOME BUSINESSES TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT WELCOMING.
WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR OPPONENT, YOUR COMPETITION PRESENTING FOR THE FIRST TIME TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT THE SUPERVISOR NOW HAS CHANGED HIS OPINION IS NOW OBJECTING.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN UNRING THAT BELL WITH THE COMMISSIONERS OTHER THAN US TAKING A POSITION WHICH WE MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE TAKEN IF WE WERE PRESENTED THIS BACK IN JANUARY.
OR MAYBE WE WOULD'VE, BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE TO ACT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
WE'RE PUT INTO THIS, THIS POSITION.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S GOING TO INDICATE A COMPLETE REVERSAL OF AN OPINION, WHICH HAS TO HAVE A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION WITH IT, WITH, AND THAT'S REALLY NOT OUR ROLE AS FAR AS WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A, UM, CONGESTION OF LIQUOR STORES.
THAT'S NOT REALLY FOR US TO SAY.
THAT'S GONNA BE DETERMINED BY THE AUTHORITY.
SO WE ARE NOT DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE TOO MANY OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING OR WHATEVER.
UM, OUR POSITION IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD WELCOME THE BUSINESS IN THAT LOCATION.
AND, BUT I THINK AS YOU HEARD, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HENDRICKS SAY WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I'VE SEEN EMAILS THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
IT'D BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD MAKE MORE AND SEND IT TO TOWN TOWN BOARD@GREENBERGANDY.COM AND THEN WE ALL GET IT.
DON'T, DON'T SEND US A LITTLE BIT TODAY,
[01:20:01]
A LITTLE BIT NEXT WEEK.MAY I, MAY I MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UH, I WANTED TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE TIMING OF, UH, THE MATERIAL TO LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, ON AUGUST 10TH IS WHEN I HAD, UH, SUBMITTED FINAL DOCUMENTATION, WHICH WAS A THURSDAY.
AND MR. LIN ACCURATELY POINTED OUT, SUBMISSIONS ARE MADE UP UNTIL 2, 2 30, I BELIEVE, ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE, UH, MEETINGS.
UM, AT THAT TIME, ONCE I USUALLY DO SUBMISSIONS FOR A LIQUOR STORE, WHETHER I'M DOING ONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSING THEM, UH, I'M ALSO DOING A REQUEST, UM, TO FULL BOARD SUPPLEMENTALS AS TO WHETHER IT, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE ANY NEW INFORMATION SUBMITTED ON THE FILE.
AND THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS READY FOR THOSE QUESTIONS OF THOSE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS AND WILL THEN SEND BACK USUALLY THE SAME DAY FOR BOARD MEETING THE ANY INFORMATION SUCH AS MY LETTER.
SO HAD THEY DONE THAT, UM, THEY, NO ONE WAS HIDING IT.
IT WAS AVAILABLE FROM LIQUOR AUTHORITY LIKE THEY ALWAYS SUPPLIED WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
THE ORIGINAL DATE OF OUR HEARING WAS JULY 26TH RAISED.
IT WAS JUST RAISED APOLOGIES JUST A LITTLE BIT.
THE ORIGINAL DATE OF OUR HEARING WAS JULY 26TH.
I WAS AT MY LAWYER'S OFFICE THE DAY BEFORE AND WE WERE REVIEWING THE DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED BY THE OPPOSITION.
THE LETTER, THE LETTER THAT IS DATED JULY 26TH WAS SUBMITTED JULY 26TH AFTER THE, BUT WE HAD GOTTEN A EMAIL FROM, UH, THE SUPERVISOR THE WEEK BEFORE, AND LITERALLY WITHIN MINUTES OF RECEIVING IT, IT WAS FORWARDED TO LIQUOR AUTHORITY, CERTAINLY IN TIME FOR DISCOVERY.
OTHERWISE, THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED IT IN, IN AS EVIDENCE.
I HAVE A COPY OF THE MEMORANDUM FOR THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
IT IS NOT PRESENT IN HERE AND IT'S FROM THAT DATE.
SO WHAT, UH, CHARLES, GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN.
SEE, MY CONCERN IS THAT WHEN WE STARTED THIS HEARING, WHICH SEEMED LIKE DAYS AGO,
AND TO ME, YOU GETTING THE LETTER STATING I'M OPPOSED DIRECTLY FROM THE SUPERVISOR, AND, AND ONLY YOU HAD IT NOT THE TOWN BOARD, NOT THEM, AND THEN YOU SUBMITTED IT AND BASICALLY CAUGHT THEM BY SURPRISE AT A HEARING IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH YOU SAYING THAT THEY ARE PLAYING THE SYSTEM.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME, QUITE FRANKLY, AS YOU DID, UH, WHAT I DID DO IS I SUBMITTED IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SUBMISSION, UH, AND I DIDN'T EVEN HOLD BACK.
I SUBMITTED IT ACTUALLY THE DAY BEFORE I WAS, UH, THE DEADLINE.
SO THERE WAS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR OPPOSITION TO RECEIVE IT FROM THE LABOR AUTHORITY.
IT WASN'T, I DON'T CALL MY ADVERSARIES AND SAY, HEY, I MADE A NEW SUBMISSION.
IT'S NOT TO GET IT TO OUR, OUR ADVERSARY.
IT'S UP TO THE ADVERSARY TO ASK THE LABOR AUTHORITY FOR IT.
AND, AND IF I HAD HANDED IT IN TOO LATE, THEY SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED IT IN AS, UH, EDITS.
UM, I, YEAH, I, THAT'S, THAT'S GIVE US AN ACTUAL A DATE WHEN YOU NEED A RESPONSE FROM OUR ATTORNEY OR US, SAY THE 31ST OF AUGUST, WE HAVE ONE DATE TO GIVE IT TO YOUR MICS.
APOLOGIES, I WOULD SAY AT THE LATEST, THE 30TH OR THE 31ST OF AUGUST, IF POSSIBLE.
THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE ONE DAY OF LEAD TIME TO PROVIDE IT TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
OH, WE HAVE A WORK SESSION NEXT TUESDAY.
WE'LL MAKE A DECISION NEXT TUESDAY.
WELL, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND, UM, WE'LL GET YOU THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE'VE REFERRED TO BUT HADN'T HANDED TO YOU.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT.
WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT AND PROVIDE WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL SEE THE LIGHT TO SUPPORT, UM, THE APPLICATION, OR AT LEAST TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS BUSINESS WOULD BE WELCOME IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND CAN I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT BEFORE WE END, UM, A LETTER JUST SAYING THAT WE WELCOME ALL BUSINESSES INTO THE AREA, MIGHT NOT BE REALLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE HERE, UH, BECAUSE USUALLY THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WILL WANNA KNOW, WELL, WHY? AND I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT AGAIN, WHAT, UH, UH, UH, SUPERINTENDENT FINER SAID, UNLESS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ONE MILE CORRIDOR,
[01:25:01]
NOBODY COMES IN FROM TARRYTOWN.NOBODY COMES IN FROM WHITE PLAINS.
NOBODY COMES IN FROM CENTRAL AVENUE, ALL OF WHICH ARE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO COMING INTO THIS AREA, EVEN ON NORTHERN, UH, GREENBURG, UH, THE, UH, BRIARCLIFF MANOR, UH, THOSE AREAS BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE.
AND YOU CAN'T SAY THAT, UH, SHOPRITE IS A DESTINATION AREA, A DESTINATION AREA, DESTINATION AREA ARE, IF YOU HAVE A SHOPRITE AND A SHOPPING PLAZA WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, THAT BECOMES A DESTINATION AREA.
YOU JUST DON'T TAKE ONE STORE A SHOPRITE AND SAY, THIS IS A DESTINATION AREA OR DESTINATION STORE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS I SAID, PEOPLE ARE NOT, AND ALSO ALL THESE AREAS THAT I JUST MENTIONED OF WHICH WAS MENTIONED, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
THEY HAVE OTHER, HAVE OTHER STOP AND SHOPS, THEY HAVE OTHER, UH, SAM'S CLUBS, THEY HAVE OTHER COSTCOS, THEY HAVE OTHER SUPERMARKETS FOR THEM TO SCHLEP INTO ELMSFORD WITH THIS TYPE OF CONGESTION.
YOU'RE GONNA FIND, OR AT LEAST I HAVE FOUND IN MY HISTORY OF DOING THIS, THAT YOU JUST DON'T DO THAT.
AND IT DOESN'T SOUND REASONABLE TO THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SUPERMARKETS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UH, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS IT JUST, UM, IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO NOT FEEL AS THOUGH A LIQUOR STORE, WHICH HAD BEEN IN THAT PLAZA FOR YEARS, SERVING THE PUBLIC AND THEN FINALLY HAVING TO REMOVE ITSELF AND COME BACK ON SAW MILL RIVER ROAD ONLY 1100 FEET AWAY, THAT YOU CAN'T FEEL AS THAT.
IT'S, THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE AN ENORMOUSLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THAT LIQUOR STORE.
AND THIS IS SOMEBODY, THIS IS A STORE THAT WENT THROUGH ALL OF THAT HARDSHIP, WENT THROUGH C O V I D HAS BECOME A, A VERY GOOD NEIGHBOR AND ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST DON'T FEEL THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
THE OTHER PART OF ELMSFORD, AGAIN, JUST THREE QUARTERS A MILE DOWN, ALSO WENT THROUGH THE SAME PERIOD OF, OF COVID AND BEING A, UH, LIVED THROUGH IT BEING A STRONG, UH, TENANT, UH, BRINGING IN TAX REVENUE FOR THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS CAN JUST BE SIMPLY, UH, SWEPT AWAY WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT.
JUST TO SAY THAT WE ARE AC ACCEPTIVE OF ALL NEW BUSINESSES REALLY WOULDN'T BE SUFFICIENT.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I, I I ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO, UH, EXPLAIN ABOUT THE, UH, POSTAL ADDRESSES ON YOUR PETITION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS CAN BE A MAGNET FROM ALL OVER.
YOU'RE VERY HELPFUL TO US, BUT TO SAY THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T COME FROM ALL OVER WHEN THEY SIGNED A PETITION FROM ALL OVER.
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE ADDRESSES THERE.
AND, AND IN, IN OUR AREA OF WESTCHESTER, THERE AREN'T MANY SUPERMARKETS PEOPLE WHO COME TO GO TO SAM'S CLUB THAT HAS NO LIQUOR LICENSE AND PEOPLE WHO COME TO GO TO SHOPRITE BECAUSE THERE AREN'T VERY MANY LARGE SUPERMARKETS IN THE AREA.
THERE AREN'T MANY LARGE SUPERMARKETS THERE.
I, WE TRAVEL TO THE LIQUOR, THE, UH, SUPERMARKETS.
THERE WILL BE A DRAW FOR SHOPRITE.
THAT'S WHY IT LOCATED WHERE IT, WHERE IT IS.
AND THERE'S A DRAW FOR SAM'S CLUB AND PEOPLE COME TO THIS AREA.
THE LOCATION FOR THE LIQUOR STORE IS A DESTINATION LOCATION.
IF YOU GO TO SHOP SHOPRITE AND WE THANK YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO REITERATE EVERYTH EVERYTHING.
SAM'S CLUB IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE SAM'S CLUB IS A MAJOR, MAJOR RETAILER IN THAT CORRIDOR.
UNDERSTAND THE POINT THOUGH, SAM'S CLUB IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
FOR PEOPLE TO GO FROM SAM'S CLUB SCHLEP OVER THE, UH, THE CORRIDOR AND GO UP, THIS IS AN ELEVATION OF 30 TO 40%.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO WALK UP AND THEN GO TO SHOPRITE ITSELF, WHICH IS ANOTHER 800 FEET.
SO IT'S, PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA GO FROM SAM'S CLUB AND WALK THAT DISTANCE WHEN IN FACT THEY CAN GO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING PROBAB, MOST PROBABLY THEY GO ACROSS THE STREET, GO ONE BLOCK AND THERE'S ELMSFORD DISCOUNT LIQUORS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IF THEY'RE GONNA DECIDE TO GO INTO THEIR CAR IN ORDER TO GO OVER TO SHOPRITE, THEY CAN JUST AS EASILY GO INTO THEIR CAR, TAKE THE RIGHT, GO DOWN THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE, AND OUR,
[01:30:01]
MY CLIENT'S LIQUOR STORE WILL SERVICE THEM AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE LAST FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.SO I JUST WANT THE GEOGRAPHICS HAPPEN TO BE IMP IMPORTANT TO THAT.
AND WE THINK IT IS GOOD THAT THOSE OTHER LIQUOR STORES WILL BE FREQUENTED ALSO.
I I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT.
A LITTLE BIT DARKER THAN JUST NORMAL SCAN.
IT'D BE GOOD TO COPY OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S A QUICK TURNAROUND HERE IN ONE WEEK TOWN BOARD@GREENBERGNY.COM AND INCLUDE THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND THIS WAY WE'LL HAVE NEXT WEEK EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED.
BUT PLEASE SUBMIT IT AS ONE PACKET.
YOU CAN SEND IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S TOO BIG TO SEND IT IS.
UH, THEN, BUT DO IT ALL AT ONE, ONE TIME SO THAT OH, ON TUESDAY I SENT YOU THIS AT THREE O'CLOCK I SENT YOU THAT.
JUST PUT IT ALL TOGETHER SOME TIME FOR US TO READ IT ALL.
AND IT'D BE GREAT IF YOU COULD DO IT BY FRIDAY.
YOU WANNA MAKE YOU'RE WELCOME.
I BELIEVE THE THIRD MATTER IS BEING ADJOURNED.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A MOTION.
WE'RE, UH, THE HIRING CONSULTANT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MAKE A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONAL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
AND WE'RE NOT COMING BACK TODAY.