More complaints about Sea Cliff Manor

Sea Cliff Manor may lose its cabaret license

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Sea Cliff Manor owners could have their cabaret license revoked if they can’t address the ongoing issues in the coming month following a ruling at a Village Board meeting on Monday.
Since last May, the Sea Cliff Manor event facility held a modified version of its cabaret license due to complaints from neighbors regarding excessive noise and other issues. Now after having been given several months to address the problems, the neighbors of the Manor say they are still dealing with the problems.

A cabaret license is a locally issued license for a live-music or entertainment venue to sell alcohol on the premises. Sea Cliff Manor, which hosts many events such as weddings or bah and bat mitzvahs where music is frequently accompanied, relies on its cabaret license as a way to not only make money in the short term, but to entice partygoers to book the venue.

The complaints against Sea Cliff Manor focus on the excessive noise which neighbors claim to have had to endure for the past several years, particularly from loud partygoers and music coming from the venue.

The Village Board voted to table the discussion until next month, at which point they will decide whether the Manor has made the necessary efforts to address the issues.

Nicholas Pellegrini, owner of the property, explained that he made efforts to reduce noise issues by soundproofing the performance room. He also hired employees to serve as sound control by quieting venue attendees and responding directly to neighbor complaints through a specific cell phone number.

“We have someone there, and he has a cell phone and his sole purpose is to go around and to try and prevent people from making too much noise,” Pellegrini explained. “There have been a couple incidents where there have been groups of people waiting for their cars outside making too much, but I think it’s greatly reduced now that we’re cognizant of it.”

In addition, the Manor has made several other efforts to reduce noise and other sensory issues. Pellegrini said they no longer clean up after parties at night, but instead wait until the next morning to reduce the sound of garbage bags being dragged. There have also been adjustments to the parking and valet system.

Despite these and other changes, neighbors such as Patricia Wader assert that the problem has not gone away. Wader said that although the Manor added a new sound monitor employee, there were several instances where she or other residents did not receive a response from them via text for several hours, and other instances were they were ignored completely.

“I’ve sent eight or nine texts complaining, John and Laurie (other residents) have sent six and we have very frequently not gotten any response,” Wader said. “The noise attendant is there. He couldn’t have missed it.”

Pellegrini was surprised by the issues regarding noise complaints, and claimed that he submitted to the village board a copy of all the texts he had received from his sound monitors. He said he was unaware of the extent of the complaints, but will have an extensive discussion with his employees regarding their failure to address the issues presented by the Manor’s neighbors.

However, the complaints extended beyond the issue of noise. Doug Barnaby, a long-time Sea Cliff resident, told the board that under previous management, the Manor had been a proud and active participant in the beautification of the community.

Now, Barnaby claims, the Manor has failed to maintain the property’s appearance, particularly on its eastern side. He said that by failing to beautify the Manor and its attached hedges and greenery, it both offends residents and potentially lowers neighboring property values. He added that it affects not just the aesthetic sensibilities of the residents, but their finances as well.

“You know (my wife and I) have been living in this area for over 50 years, and really never had a problem until several years ago,” Barnaby said. “Sea Cliff Manor is a non-conforming structure and commercial property located in a residential area and its easterly property line is an eyesore.”