NIMBYS Engage With Charlie Bird Team Over Kenmare Space [UPDATE]

The team behind wine-soaked hot spot Charlie Bird is charging ahead with their plans for a new restaurant (which sounds a lot like Charlie Bird with pizza) in the former Toby's Public House space at 86 Kenmare. But, some of the neighbors aren't totally thrilled (see update below). Earlier this month, owners Ryan Hardy, Robert Bohr, and Grant Reynolds, reportedly agreed to several stipulations from the building's tenant association including promises to install expensive soundproofing, halt construction work on the weekends, and close the restaurant no later than midnight most nights and 11 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays. But, emails between the team's lawyer and building's tenants obtained by DNAinfo allegedly show that the team is threatening to go straight to the State Liquor Authority and ignore the previously agreed upon terms.

The lawyer for the restaurant emailed the tenants' attorney:

If [Hardy] does not receive Community Board approval, they intend to apply through the State and most, if not all, of the concessions will no longer be applicable...I sincerely believe it is in the best interests for the Tenants Association to consent to and recommend [Hardy's] submission as attached.

The attached (which wasn't posted online) allegedly leaves out some of the provisions the team agreed to including installing specific soundproofing materials and not doing construction work on weekends. The community board will vote on the application at a meeting tomorrow night.

UPDATE: The Charlie Bird team says they are in negotiations with the tenants and that a formal agreement wasn't reached before, so there was no way they reneged on it.

The issue, according to them, is primarily contained to one tenant who doesn't want a restaurant in the ground floor of the building. Twelve out of the 15 concessions asked for have been met, according to one owner, including moving speakers from the ceiling to the floor to reduce noise, promises to install sound proofing, to close the restaurant's  windows and doors at 9 p.m., and close the restaurant no later than midnight. A direct number for a manager will also be accessible for tenants, in case they need to reach the restaurant regarding an issue.

One concession which they weren't able to agree to was to have trash pickup scheduled for after 8 a.m., as it would require the team to store trash inside the restaurant. "We want the approval...We want to be good neighbors." The community board will vote on the liquor license application tonight.