Neighbors press Community Board 2 to seek SLA enforcement and deny outdoor privileges for Boucherie and Olio after repeated noncompliance

Neighborhood residents urged Manhattan Community Board 2 to press for enforcement and tighter conditions on sidewalk and roadway cafes run by the same operators along Seventh Avenue South and Greenwich Avenue, saying repeated violations have blocked pedestrian access and undermined trust in the outdoor‑dining rules.

Why it matters: Residents described persistent noncompliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) requirements for sidewalk cafes — including planters and furniture that encroach into the required 10‑foot pedestrian zone, sandwich boards in walkways, and servers delivering food and drink from the sidewalk rather than servicing patrons from inside the restaurant — and said recent DOT enforcement had removed planters but the behavior resumed.

Details from the meeting: Ben Savitsky (attorney for the applicant) described the Boucherie sidewalk cafe application as “34 tables with 68 seats. It is 9 feet by 8 inches wide and 44 feet long,” and said DOT had inspected and that the applicants believed the configuration met clearance requirements. The restaurant representative on the record at the meeting was Jasmine Palomik.

Multiple residents contradicted that account based on repeated observations. Susan Ginsberg, a neighbor, told the committee, “I would just say these people have no credibility whatsoever,” and said DOT had confirmed the Petit Boucherie location did not apply to the city’s dining‑program rules and that enforcement visits and summonses were planned. Nancy Paisley, who lives across from one of the locations, told the committee that planters previously taken by DOT “were back down” and that customers were forced to walk in the street where the sidewalk was obstructed.

Augustine Hope of the West Village Residence Association urged denial unless the operators prove sustained compliance; another committee member, Carter, suggested forwarding the documented violations to the New York State Liquor Authority because local violations can form the basis for SLA enforcement. Community commenters handed photographs and DOT correspondence to the committee as evidence of continuing obstruction.

Olio and Boucherie specifics the committee discussed include: - Boucherie (979 Seventh Avenue South): application for a municipal sidewalk expansion that would occupy the full restaurant frontage; DOT had inspected but residents presented photographs showing planters and a sandwich board encroaching into the pedestrian zone. Committee members noted prior DOT action in which planters were confiscated after an encroachment notice was issued to the property owner. - Olio (3 Greenwich Avenue): the application requests a sidewalk cafe with 27 tables and 60 seats and a roadway cafe with eight tables and 17 seats. Residents and committee members raised concerns about planters placed at the curb edge and servers accessing and serving from the sidewalk rather than operating from inside.

Committee disposition and next steps: Committee members signaled strong concern and discussed recommending denial or, at minimum, forwarding the violations to the SLA and requesting DOT enforcement. One committee member said the board could recommend that the SLA consider character‑and‑fitness for the operator because the same ownership group has a documented history of noncompliance across multiple premises. Members emphasized they would require clear corrective steps before considering approval of outdoor privileges and asked staff to prepare language for a resolution; they also stated a consistent community request that outdoor seating close by 10 p.m.

What residents want: Consistent enforcement, removal of obstructions from the 10‑foot pedestrian zone, elimination of sandwich boards and unauthorized host stands on the sidewalk, and a strict requirement that outdoor service is accessed only from the interior to preserve pedestrian access.

Provenance: The Boucherie presentation and the extensive public testimony begin with the applicant’s introduction (transcript excerpt: “This is Bouchary LLC. They do business as Bouchary at 9799 Seventh Avenue South. … It is 34 tables with 68 seats.”) and the public comments continue through a large block of neighborhood testimony and committee discussion that followed (transcript excerpts of resident testimony describing DOT action, photographs, and requests for SLA referral).