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Planning board agrees to limited alcohol sales on Leslie Hotel roof terrace with neighbor hour concession
Summary
The board endorsed the Leslie Hotel’s request to allow beer sales to hotel guests on the existing rooftop pool terrace and approved staff recommendations; the applicant agreed to reduce late‑night terrace hours to 10 p.m. (except July 4 and New Year’s Eve) and pledged guest‑only access.
The Planning Board recommended approval of a request from the owner of the Leslie Hotel to allow sale of alcohol to hotel guests on an existing rooftop pool terrace.
Staff described the item as a neighborhood‑impact establishment review because the hotel property lies within 200 feet of a residential building. The hotel owner, Juan Pablo Donofrio, said the terrace is small (35 rooms/hotel scale) and used primarily by hotel guests; he said rooftop operations have operated without complaints for years and the request corrects an anachronistic prohibition that required guests to leave the hotel to purchase alcohol.
An attorney for a neighboring penthouse owner raised concerns about lack of direct outreach and suggested either a one‑month continuance to confer or tougher consequences for noncompliance. The applicant said he had met with adjacent condo representatives and was willing to accept reasonable mitigations. The board asked for a phone contact to address complaints and discussed reducing hours; the applicant agreed to a 10 p.m. closing time for regular nights while retaining 2 a.m. allowance for July 4 and New Year’s Eve in limited circumstances.
Board members voted to recommend approval with the modified hours and with the understanding that code enforcement and contract remedies would address any future violations.
