A Long Island zoning hearing turned contentious Thursday as residents and officials argued against allowing a dance club to reopen, citing noise complaints and controversial advertising, while others defended the establishment's right to conduct business.
Club Avanti in Westbury advertises itself as a Latin dance club, but it was shut down last month after the village revoked its operating permit. Besides noise complaints, the mayor said there were questions about what was happening inside the club after it advertised a "swinger party" in March.
Some village residents also said the music is often too loud and traffic is an issue.
"On a Friday night, I can't even drive by because there are constantly cars in the way," said meeting attendee Ellen Hurwitch.
Others argued the club is not suitable for Westbury, which is undergoing a revitalization.
Not all neighbors said Club Avanti should stay closed, though. James Diehl has been to the club; nothing illegal happens inside and complaints ahead of the "swinger party" were unwarranted, he said.
"All I saw were people drinking, dancing and having a good time," Diehl said. "There was no sex, there was no nudity."
The owner of the club, Barry Ceriano, pleaded with the mayor to reinstate his permit, saying he's lost employees and businesses because Avanti has been closed for a month.
He added that he's spent thousands of dollars to reinforce the walls inside the club in an effort to reduce noise, and vowed to work with the village on other issues.
