Nick’s Lobster House has been a staple in the community for 67 years, and residents hope the restaurant remains there for a very long time. Located at 2777 Flatbush Avenue, Nick’s obtained a special permit back in 2005, allowing the business to operate in what is known as a C3 (commercial) district. The permit is up for renewal, but under the special permit, the restaurant needs a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), which it does not have.
Property located in a C3 district generally allows for water-related uses like boating, or fish and tackle, according to GoldmanHarris Planning and Development Specialist Giovanni Gioia, who attended the April 20th meeting of Community Board 18 (CB18) on behalf of Nick’s Lobster.
The special permit must be renewed every five years and was approved in 2010 and 2015 but was delayed in 2020 due to COVID. Gioia explained that the restaurant is on city land – it was leased by the EDC in 2002 and is under the jurisdiction of NYC SBS (Small Business Service) and therefore only requires a Certificate of Completion. The purpose of last week’s Public Hearing was to remove the condition for Nick’s Lobster to obtain a C of O.
Board and civic members, along with Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, expressed their complete support of the beloved restaurant, calling it a cornerstone of the community and stating that the owners were there for the community during events like Superstorm Sandy and COVID-19. Ultimately, the board voted in favor of removing the condition for a C of O.
U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Fayed, the station commander for the Sheepshead Bay Army Recruiting Station, located on Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Y, shared that there are 160 jobs available in the Army for those ages 17 to 37. “The Army is offering up to $50,000 bonuses and has great benefits, including free medical and dental, and housing assistance,” he said.
As April is Autism Awareness Month, Lucina Clarke, Executive Director and Co-Founder of My Time Inc., gave an informative presentation on autism. As parents of autistic children can become very overwhelmed, My Time’s mission is to educate parents on understanding their child’s disability while providing a supportive environment for them.
Clarke said that autism is just like a puzzle, a neurological disorder that affects children’s communication and social development. She talked about Autism Spectrum Disorder, explaining that a child with autism can have varying levels of functioning. “High functioning children are labelled as Asperger’s. These children still lack skills and social development and communication, but they are very much intellectual beings,” she said. “Many of them are artistic and musically inclined.”
If your child is not responding or paying attention to you, these are some of the signs that your child may be autistic. Clarke said that most children are diagnosed by the age of 2 years old and stressed how important early intervention is, between ages 0-3. “This is the most crucial time to get your children help. Early intervention treatment is free by the Department of Health or you can contact 311 for assistance.”
Executive Officer Captain Jared Badillo gave an update on crime statistics in the 69th Precinct. Although index crimes are up, with a total of 63 crimes over the last 28 days compared to 36 at the same time last year, he said about 40% of those crimes are close to arrest and that their detectives are working tirelessly to close out the others. To further combat crime in Canarsie, he introduced Sgt. Vivas and eight new police officers who will reporting to him. These new officers will start out working all three shifts and eventually be assigned a permanent shift where they are most needed.
CB18 District Manager Sue Ann Partnow gave her monthly report, some of it touching on important quality of life issues. Sanitation will be cleaning up along Flatbush Avenue to the Belt Parkway, and the Parks Department organized an Earth Day cleanup on Hendrickson Street behind the Sam Ash store, where there is also a graffiti problem along a row of stores in that area. Partnow arranged for the graffiti removal to coincide with the cleanup.
She also contacted the owners of the old Toys “R” Us property to have the building whitewashed. However, shortly thereafter, the 63rd Precinct apprehended someone trying to paint graffiti on the vacant building.
Finally, additional traffic lights will be installed at the intersection of Glenwood Road and East 59th Street by August 31st and Avenue L and East 56th Street by October 31st.
The next meeting of CB18 will take place on Wednesday, May 18th, in person at 1097 Bergen Avenue, and virtually.