SLA Bombshell

As if things weren't bad enough for the city's nightlife industry, in comes the State Liquor Authority to make things much worse. At today's Authority meeting the Authority, with absolutely no input from the industry or anyone else for that matter, announced that it was initiating moratorium on all licenses applications for any premise that is within the 500 foot radius of three other premises.

What this means is that businesses that have already applied, gotten community board approval and invested millions of dollars to renovate a venue, will have to eat their investments while these state bureaucrats (with no legislative authority) decide to place businesses in limbo. By what authority?

Clearly the SLA is totally out of control and is acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Expect a slew of lawsuits from applicants who might be facing millions of dollars in losses from this ex post facto action. Also expect a heated Spano state senate hearing tomorrow.