The Licensing Commission voted to roll back the hours of the Chelsea Walk Pub due to a May violation of the city’s video surveillance policy.
At last week’s meeting, the commission also approved a new manager for the Broadway bar, as its current owner is seeking to sell it within the next several months.
The Chelsea Walk Pub has been closed since June as it awaited a disciplinary hearing with the Licensing Commission.
It will now be able to reopen once the police department signs off on it having a working video surveillance system.
When the pub does reopen, it will be required to close at 11 p.m. seven days per week. Most recently, the pub was open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and to midnight during the rest of the week.
The disciplinary hearing stemmed from an incident in early May, when the police department requested video surveillance footage from the bar to investigate an incident that happened outside near the Broadway address.
According to Jeff Turco, the attorney representing the Chelsea Walk Pub, employees were unable to access the video surveillance footage and the password for the system was not working.
Under Chelsea ordinances, liquor establishments must have a working video surveillance system that stores 30 days of video.
“The bottom line is they could not figure out why the PIN password they had was not working,” said Turco.
A local electronics company also reviewed the system and could not access the footage.
Turco noted that at the request of the Licensing Commission, the Chelsea Walk Pub has been closed since June.
The overall plan for the Chelsea Walk Pub is to reopen with a new manager and a working video surveillance system while the current owner works out details for a sale of the bar.
Licencing Commission Chair Marnie MacAlpine noted that while the Chelsea Walk Pub closed in the middle of June, it did operate for the better part of a month without a working video surveillance system.
“I would expect a responsible owner to make every effort to fix that so they could be in compliance,” said MacAlpine.
Commission members questioned why the pub was going through a change of manager when the owner expects to sell within the next several months.
Turco replied that the current owner, Angela Palmieri, has some health issues and is not able to be on site for the required hours. He also noted that she wants the pub to reopen to show that it is a viable business for potential new owners.
The commission approved the change in ownership, but voted to roll back the hours of operation due to the violation of the surveillance ordinance.
“You have been before the commission before on disciplinary (issues), and you know how important the video is,” said MacAlpine. “I’m a little bothered by the fact that there was no good faith effort to contact someone and try to get it repaired prior to June.”
In other business, the Licensing Commission approved a change of hours for the amusement and entertainment license for Las Vegas Restaurant at 388 Broadway. The later entertainment hours are in line with the extended closing hours approved by the commission earlier this year.
The commission also approved an RFP for an on-premises, all-alcohol license for Preciado Brothers, LLC, doing business as P’onde Juancho at 400-406 Broadway.