How many of these do we need? — S on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

No words to describe one of the best people I have the pleasure to be in contact with... Peter you will be missed, loved and remembered for the rest of of our lives, you had that touching personality that make you stand above the rest! Unfortunately we had to say goodbye and we feel comfort that you are resting in peace, and that you will be in our hearts forever!! Natalie and Lou❤️ — Lou Montoya on Peter Bianco, who loved his wife, his family and his adopted neighborhood, has died at 51

I met Peter at Vassar College and knew him to be always, fun and kind and spreading positive energy to those around him. It's incredibly sad that he was taken away so soon. My thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace and love Peter. — Basak Ertuna on Peter Bianco, who loved his wife, his family and his adopted neighborhood, has died at 51

I too have nothing against legal dispensaries. But this particular block just worries me. Cash business, quiet block, lots of families and kids. Add to that mix armed guards, a park that’s already pretty pungent and it just seems like a more thoughtful solution could be found in a neighborhood with plenty of open storefronts in less family-impacting areas. — Concerned on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

Please attend the community board meeting on April 18th at 6pm. I’m sure it would be tremendously helpful if as many people as possible would do that. — Concerned on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

No one wants dispensaries in Tribeca. What don't the shop owners, landlords, and anyone else who approves it understand? This is a professionals and family friendly neighborhood without a lot of riff-raff. Beyond ridiculous. — John on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

CB1 took issue with it because the State is very clearly incorrectly applying the law. CB1 is correct. The State botched the rollout and now they're trying to jam through "legal" shops in illegal locations in order to save face. See my other comment. — person on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

I personally am supportive of the legal dispensaries. If this location meets the state's requirements, I am all for it. Legal dispensaries are very careful about not allowing under-age people to enter, and if we support folks that are doing this the right/legal way, we will end up with fewer unlicensed weed shops. — mary amsterdam on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

Alcohol & Beverage Law is not the applicable law. Education law is the applicable law. The entrances/exits contained within a school's legally defined property boundaries would be the typical entrances/exits from the school. Exclusive use and same road is not part of the cannabis law. N.Y. Cannabis Law § 77 "4. No applicant shall be granted an adult-use on-site consumption license for any premises within five hundred feet of school grounds as such term is defined ***in the education law*** or two hundred feet from a house of worship." New York Consolidated Laws, Education Law - EDN § 409 "“School grounds” means any building, structure and surrounding outdoor grounds, including entrances or exits, contained within a public or private pre-school, nursery school, elementary or secondary school's legally defined property boundaries as registered in a county clerk's office." https://casetext.com/statute/consolidated-laws-of-new-york/chapter-cannabis/article-4-adult-use-cannabis/section-77-adult-use-on-site-consumption-license-provisions-governing-on-site-consumption-licenses https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/education-law/edn-sect-409/ — person on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

I should clarify that I am NOT in favor of making it illegal to smoke outside, since we all know what the NYPD would do (and to whom) with that permission. Just saying that it's legal to smoke outside, and I know that the odor bothers people. — malcolm on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

To me, the issue is not the legal shops. The State screwed up by delaying the rollout so much that we now are inundated with garish, illegal shops selling questionable wares. The legal shops are safe and guarded and are much less prone to robberies and other illicit activity compared to the illegal ones. Similarly, people are not smoking in the legal shops, whereas they often do in the illegal ones. All that to say: we should remove barriers to the legal shops and crack the heck down on the ones we need to actually worry about. The bigger issue to me is that it smells like weed in Manhattan everywhere, and I can see how that bothers people, especially those with kids. But smoking outside is legal, so if we want to fix that, we have to change the law. — malcolm on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

Also "Exclusive use as school/place of worship "While the law uses the phrase 'building used exclusively' as a school/place of worship, the courts have adopted a test that looks to whether the building is used primarily as a school/place of worship. The building will still be considered a school/place of worship as long as any use is incidental to, and are not inconsistent with or detracting from the predominant character of the building as a school/place of worship. "In 2007, the 200 foot rule was amended to clarify that the use of a building for certain purposes would be considered incidental to its primary use as a place of worship. Those uses include, but are not limited to: • the conduct of legally authorized games of bingo or other games of chance held as a means of raising funds for the not-for-profit religious organization which conducts services at the place of worship or for other not-for-profit organizations or groups; • use of the building for fund-raising performances by or benefitting the not-for-profit religious organization which conducts services at the place of worship or other not-for-profit organizations or groups; • the use of the building by other religious organizations or groups for religious services or other purposes; • the conduct of social activities by or for the benefit of the congregants; • the use of the building for meetings held by organizations or groups providing bereavement counseling to persons having suffered the loss of a loved one, or providing advice or support for conditions or diseases including, but not limited to, alcoholism, drug addiction, cancer, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease; and • the use of the building for blood drives, health screenings, health information meetings, yoga classes, exercise classes or other activities intended to promote the health of the congregants or other persons; • and use of the building by non-congregant members of the community for private social functions." "In addition, the amendment also provided that a building would still be considered as 'used exclusively' as a place of worship even when the not-for-profit religious organization occupying the place of worship accepts payments from those using the building to assist in defraying costs related to that party’s use of the building" — james on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Law "provides that the [200/500 ft] measurement be taken in a straight line from the center of the nearest entrance of the school/place of worship to the center of the nearest entrance of the establishment. The distance is determined using only entrances that are regularly used to give ingress to (a) the students of the school, (b) the general public into the place of worship; and (c) patrons into the establishment. Emergency/fire exits, maintenance access, and doors to gain access to non-public areas are not used in the measurement. If the entrance is set back from the sidewalk by a walkway or doorway, the measurement is taken from the center of the line where the walkway/doorway meets the sidewalk. For an establishment in a multi-story building, the building entrance at street level is used." Further: "The statute refers to the school/place of worship being on the same street as the licensed premises.The buildings do not have to be on the same block. With respect to an establishment or school/place of worship on a corner lot, the building is considered to be on both streets, whether or not there is an entrance to the building on both streets." See PDF file online at https://sla.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/06/200-500-foot-rules-050213.pdf — james on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

With the passing of David Bouley, it will be so right to finally have a first class restaurant back at that Duane St corner building. We loved doing take out from the Forgione Reade Street “Porch” during the pandemic “ but we wish you well on our block. — Jean Grillo on Seen & Heard: Grand Banks is open

FYI, this from the New York State Department of Education on what constitutes a school: “School grounds” means any building, structure and surrounding outdoor grounds, including entrances or exits, contained within a public or private pre-school, nursery school, elementary or secondary school’s legally defined property boundaries as registered in a county clerk’s office. The state also says the school has to occupy the entire building, but CB1 has taken issue with that, since most schools in NYC are not stand-alone school buildings like in the suburbs. — Tribeca Citizen on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

Is there a petition we can sign to make sure this store does not open? — neighbor on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

Per NYS Liquor Authority Mapping Project (LAMP), there are no schools or places of worship within 500 feet. PS 234 is shown as approximately 663 feet (presumably to the entrance). JCP Downtown (as a place of worship) is shown as approximately 706 ft. — james on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

At least smoking the skunk weed should be banned from public places. Unfortunately, these days it's smoked in the parks (already forbidden), on the trains (likewise), etc. — Marcus on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

The projected demolition of Mary Miss' "Greenwood Pond: Double Site" by the Des Moines Art Center is an unconscionable dereliction of duty on the part of the museum. They say they haven't the funds to restore it. But if a museum has a Rembrandt which needs costly restoration and they haven't the money to do it is the answer to put it in the trash? Letters of protest ought be sent to Ms. Kelly Baum, Director, The Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave. Des Moines, Iowa 50312. — John Willenbecher on In the News: New Jersey congestion pricing case heard in court

1000 feet from a playground 500 feet from a public youth facility 500 feet from a park or public open space 500 feet from a harm reduction facility. are you sure these are cb'1s "distancing preferences"? they recently approved the app for 386 canal which is within 500 ft from 2 parks (alberto capsuto park and tribeca park) various open spaces (grand canal court and duarte square), within 500 ft of a school (cpc early childhood center) and about 40 ft away from an addiction treatment center (Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation) - where were these "distancing preferences" when approving this app???? — Local Resident on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

This location is very clearly within 500 feet of Washington Market School and is basically right in the heart of the most child-friendly, community-oriented part of the neighborhood, wedged between the two most beloved parks in Tribeca. As lofty as their intentions may have been by trying to legalize marijuana sales and help those negatively affected, the State has obliterated every ounce of goodwill it may have garnered by giving communities practically no say in the siting of these stores. These simply don't belong in dense residential areas in the early stages of the rollout and it shouldn't take massive, repeated community opposition to make that clear. Duane Street neighbors should post how others can support them. — person on Neighbors on Duane Park are organizing against cannabis shop

My dear friend, It is difficult to summarize a friend of 30+ years in a few lines. Charm, kindness, understated elegance come to mind immediately when thinking of you. Fun, always. As I looked recently at 30 years of pictures of our close group of friends, many from Vassar College, the same faces appear whether the pictures were taken at Vassar, New York city or the many other locations where we met regularly on vacation or attending each other’s milestone events. It is impossible to miss your smile and positive energy bursting out from these pictures. What I will miss most is your infectious enthusiasm. Always ready to try something. Always embracing it wholeheartedly (whether a Palm V, a party theme, a new sport, a new phase in life...). You embraced family life the same way. You came into your own as a family man whose proudest achievement was the beautiful family you leave behind. I will be thinking of you often and hoping you are smiling back. — John J. on Peter Bianco, who loved his wife, his family and his adopted neighborhood, has died at 51

Moi aussi! I miss Mangez Avec Moi weekly. The soul chicken! — Linda Secondari on The Dinosaurs of Tribeca: Unfinished buildings and abandoned lots

My car was crushed in the garage last April on Ann Street and I have heard nothing further. I submitted a ton of stuff to my insurance company (receipts for rental cars and train tickets). Anyone else know anything? — Broadway Mamma on In the News: New Jersey congestion pricing case heard in court

I met Peter in college where he, and the boys or rather “the Florida 5” as Jon tells us, were seemingly inseparable hosting smashing evenings and always up to one adventure or another. In this crazy world, it is wonderful to see how close they remained through the years. Peter is one of the most charming, generous, kind and fun person I have met (and I’ve met quite a few…) his zest for life was inspiring, his smile was contagious and his laughter even more so. Dearest sweetest friend, the years have passed and our lives went in separate directions but our young times together, all of us, will stay with me forever. You, Peter, are so loved by so many. Your legacy lives on in your beautiful family and all the lives you touched. Thank you for being part of mine. My thoughts and prayers go out to Michaela, Mattia and Mirta as well as the rest of your family and friends who miss you so. — Catherine Martel on Peter Bianco, who loved his wife, his family and his adopted neighborhood, has died at 51