Good afternoon Nob Hilleños,
My name is Kyla Stoker. You may have seen my name mentioned in the email chain below for the reason that I am one of the two individuals who is representing the applicant in their transfer of location of a liquor license into the proposed location. You may also remember me from many other recent transfers of businesses which I have personally helped with their real estate and/or their liquor licenses. I have had a several year passion project in which I have actively helped clients lease, buy and sell properties in Nob Hill. I have been involved in over a dozen of the current businesses which you know, love and trust in Nob Hill, in some way or another. I have actively worked on encouraging entrepreneurs to engage in business in this area, despite the many hesitations that I often receive. I have shown the subject building to a number of clients who have passed on it because of the incredible investment it will take to be operable for most business types. I believe in Nob Hill and invest my time, energy and money in its success.
What you may not know, is that I am also a homeowner in the Nob Hill neighborhood, who is investing my hard earned money into the Nob Hill neighborhood. Being a property owner was another step that I believed was important in the passion and belief that I have for its future. My plan is to continue to purchase properties in the area I love for its character, history, food culture and nightlife.
As a business woman who has represented hundreds of liquor license applicants in my career, I can speak directly to the ownership of this specific applicant. I have had the pleasure of working with, and knowing each of them, for 16 years. Each of the four owners are proud members of this community in which they give back to. The ownership consists of civil engineer, real estate professional, State of NM director position and a very dedicated owner in charge of operations. They are all educated professionals working towards a similar goal of leaving Albuquerque better than they got it; the same goal many of us young professionals are working towards when choosing to stay and invest in our city. 3 of the 4 owners are native New Mexicans, and all of them are raising families in our community.
The operators of this venue intend to be mindful of the character and needs of Nob Hill. They have expressed their desire to be a community event space where the neighbors want to spend time and memorable events. They are exploring the option of doing a daytime immersive art gallery for local artists. Their brand intends to be experiential, memorable, vibrant, unique, upscale and intimate while giving a fresh new life to a corner that has needed it on the northern side of west Nob Hill. They will need the support of the community in which they plan to invest to be successful in retaining that demographic.
The ownership is involved in many philanthropic activities and groups. A couple that I can name are: NM Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Joy Junction, 505 Locker, Pink Pantry, Lobo Club, Musical Theater SW, Heart Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Junior Achievement of NM, Carrie Tingley Children's Hospital, Horses for Heroes, La Vida Felicidad, and Cuidando Los Ninos.
As you can see, not all operators are made alike and while we can see that there have been some bad acts by other operators in the past, not all new businesses are run the same. These operators have a budget of $1.8M+/- which they are working with to rehab this once beautiful building which has been an eye sore and vacant since 2019. Along with many other buildings in Nob Hill, this building remains vacant. Retail has proven that it does not sustain in Nob Hill. Food and entertainment are the businesses which appear to me to keep the Nob Hill neighborhood from turning into the next vacant downtown. Businesses which are open, not vacant boarded up properties, are what continue to maintain and grow the value of the commercial property, which in turn also has been shown to help the growth of surrounding residential property values.
As a native New Mexican, an entrepreneur and a homeowner in Nob Hill, I am urging you to be open minded about the fact that it is hard to get businesses to invest the kind of money that is needed to make these properties viable. I know this because I am working regularly and actively in bringing business to the area. The liquor is a component that people understandably become fearful of, however, it truly comes down to the operators of any business as to its ability to be a good community partner.
Regardless of your position on this application, my input still remains that we must consider the consequences of not supporting new businesses to operate in our community.
Thank you for reading and I do appreciate the active role you all take in your community; it does not go unnoticed the amount of effort that it takes to do so. I plan to continue to work on the revitalization efforts that I have made my passion for the last several years and I am certain we will be working together again soon.
Kyla Stoker
At this point I am opposed to this liquor license application. Getting past issues with regard to that corner is a must.
Elizabeth Chestnut
From: Neighbors_nobhill-nm <neighbors_nobhill-nm-bounces@mailman.swcp.com> On Behalf Of Gary Eyster via Neighbors_nobhill-nm
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2024 1:04 PM
To: 'NobHill Neighbors' <neighbors@nobhill-nm.com>
Cc: 'Kyla Stoker' <kyla@newmexicoliquorlicense.com>; 'Mark Rhodes' <mmr@rspcnm.com>
Subject: [Neighbors] Request for Liquor License Transfer, The Library Moveable Feast, NE Corner Richmond Dr. and Central Ave.
Nob Hill Friends and Neighbors,
The CABQ Liquor Hearing Officer has notified your association of an application for transfer of location of inter-local dispenser liquor license to 3101 and 3108 Central Ave. NE and 102 Richmond Dr NE. The Hearing Officer will hear the request via zoom on September 27, 2024 (see Notice). Written comments will be accepted by donna@cabq.gov until 72 hours before the hearing. Public comment is normally received at the hearing.
When your association learns of an application we contact the applicant to clarify the application. We pass this to our email list to gather neighborhood input. If neighbors express questions or concerns we seek further information. Here is the information we received from Mark Rhodes who will represent the applicant along with Kyla Stoker. We invite you to reply to all if you have a position on this request. You may reply to sender if you prefer.
-Operators of the business: The owners are all locals whom Kyla and I have represented in different capacities for more than a decade. They are good people and good operators. The owners names are Mark Garcia, Joe Chavez, Nicolas Torres and Micheal Conforti. Their day to day operator will be Christina Castinelli, also a local.
-Contact information, Agents: Mark Rhodes, 505-980-4640; Kyla Stoker, 505-980-5614-Current and recent operations of any operator with alcohol service and period of operation: The operation requested here (Library Moveable Feast) originated out of requests the afore noted operators received for off-site catering events that include alcohol while operating the Library Bar & Grill downtown (312 Central Ave. SW). Library Moveable Feast was formed to meet those requests and a new liquor license was purchased to meet those requests. Since it’s inception, the new business has operated out of rented space. Now they wish to create a new home base to expand their operations. Period of operation at existing location: Agent did not provide
-Food menu: While there is a kitchen in the premises and the potential is there to prepare their own food, historically the applicant has sourced their food from local venders and farmers, whenever possible. Menu for these items : Agent did not provide
-Hours of operation: While the applicant’s business will be open during normal business hours, historically there have been few events for the applicant during the weekdays. Primary event days are Friday and Saturday; Planned weekday hours and hours on Friday and Saturday: Agent did not provide·Measures the applicant plans relative to security: The security measures have historically depended on when the event is held and the number of people attending the event. For example, a daytime hours event would have no less than one security guard per 100 customers plus, of course, the security cameras while a night hours event would at least double the number of security guards plus the afore mentioned security cameras.
Additional information provided by Mr. Rhodes: The applicant is not the Library Bar & Grill which is a downtown nightclub. The applicant is an entity named the Library Moveable Feast, LLC which is a separate entity from the Library Bar & Grill albeit with the same ownership. As the name implies , this entity provides a moveable feast or catering services. If other catering services wish to serve alcohol and do not have a liquor license, they must “picnic” a liquor license from a licensee who as part of the “picnic” process, must provide the liquor and service staff. As a result, the food caterer loses compete control of the event as control is split between the food caterer and the picnic license owner. When the Library Moveable Feast was formed, it consolidated all control with the Library Moveable Feast.
Furthermore, the applicant is planning on investing money into renovating the space as it makes little sense to provide a nice venue for events if their event center looks like a dump as it currently does. It is the applicants hope that their Nob Hill neighbors will utilize the space for their own events such as corporate events; anniversaries and similar celebrations.
Finally, if the owners can not book private events on Friday and Saturday nights, they have considered opening the event center on those nights only as an upscale lounge.
Attached is a call summary from APD for the 312 Central SW address. APD attached these remarks: Attached are the calls for service, year-to-date. Anything with a letter 'S' following the 10-code (such as 31S) or that says 'onsite' is officer initiated. Most of the 'fight in progress' calls occurred on the sidewalk or in the street in front of the Library and may or may not have been associated with the establishment. It was simply the nearest address.
At 6:30 pm on Sept. 16 NHNA’s board of directors will informally evaluate input received from the community. Neighbor input is crucial. When input is neutral or positive we generally don’t develop an association position. If input suggests strong concerns or directors have strong concerns we will hold a special board meeting to explore an association position. If that happens the special board meeting will be the following evening, Sept. 17 at 6:30 pm by zoom. We will notify the email list if this special meeting is set up and provide a zoom invitation.
At such a meeting the board generally considers the expected impact on community safety and quality of life and factors including but not limited to calls for police service at applicant's operations and security plans.
Hours of service and services offered are not generally part of the hearing officer’s consideration, but may affect the association’s position.
Locations near Residential Zone Districts (IDO 14-16-2-3) are problematic, particularly if affected neighbors oppose.
We will notify the email list, the liquor hearing officer, and the applicant of the association’s action coming out of such a special meeting.
All members of the community are welcome to provide written comments to the hearing officer or speak at the CABQ hearing in a personal capacity.
#VivaNobHill
Gary Eyster
President, Nob Hill Neighborhood Association
(505)991-1388
Kyla Stoker
New Mexico Liquor Licenses, LLC
2539 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
Cell: (505) 980-5614 Fax: (505) 212-0227