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Neighbors press board over Saint George Coffee’s sidewalk use and garbage complaints
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Summary
Residents told Community Board 2 the enclosed sidewalk cafe at Saint George Coffee has been accompanied by unpermitted outside tables, garbage cans on Barrow Street, and confrontational behavior by the owner; the enclosed‑cafe application itself was discussed and committee members advised filing 311 complaints for ongoing violations.
Residents raised concerns about Saint George Coffee’s sidewalk use at Manhattan Community Board 2’s meeting, saying problems that pre‑dated the current application remain unresolved.
Susan Ginsburg, a resident who testified, described longstanding sidewalk encroachments and repeated problems with garbage cans and people congregating on Barrow Street. "They have people congregating... the worst is that... the garbage can is always there 24 7," Ginsburg said, adding neighbors had been told the owner planned to remove the trash cans but that the problem persisted.
Committee members clarified that the application before the board was for an enclosed sidewalk cafe and did not, by itself, authorize outside tables that neighbors say appear on the sidewalk. Board members said if neighbors see unpermitted tables or other violations, they should file a 311 complaint with the city to have enforcement follow up.
The working group discussed whether some small triangular patches immediately outside doors were privately owned (and therefore not part of the sidewalk‑cafe application) but concluded that the areas with tables in question were not shown on the applicant’s plan and would require separate approvals or a DOT franchise if the owner contends they own the street triangle.
The committee acknowledged residents’ safety and quality‑of‑life concerns. It closed the public hearing on the enclosed sidewalk‑cafe application and advised neighbors to document violations and use 311 or other enforcement pathways for issues outside the scope of the enclosed‑cafe application.
Next steps: the enclosed‑cafe application remains under review with the working group; the committee recommended that outside seating alleged by neighbors be addressed through enforcement channels and that any future outside‑seating applications be reviewed separately.
