photo by Lorraine Michels
Invasion 2008 Bruce-Michael & Margo at Sip 'n' Twirl
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Following a Brookhaven Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) public hearing, on January 11, concerning expediting permits to rebuild the LaFountaine or Danikki Building, which burned down in the downtown Pines fire on November 14, and had housed the gas company LaFountaines, the gay club Sip’n’Twirl, restaurants Pines Bistro & Martini bar and Pines Pizza, and other businesses, and which was opposed by the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, Inc. (ABCO), PJ McAteer, owner of Sip’n’Twirl and the restaurants, posted the following on the bar’s web site, sipntwirl.com, on January 12:
Thank You–We Were Heard
Sincere thanks to everyone, for your support, and particularly to Nicole LaFountaine, the staff of Sip·n·Twirl, the Bistro and Pines Pizza, and to all our “family,” friends and neighbors. You wrote, Tweeted, Facebooked, blogged, posted, emailed, faxed, and more, to spread the word, around the community, and around the world, that helped make a major statement to the zoning board. Thanks, also, to everyone who came to the meeting–yesterday’s turnout, which Newsday puts at “over 200,” was the largest ever for the BZA.
We came to yesterday’s meeting with 300 faxes and emailed letters, along with more than 1,200 signatures from [our] online petition, all clearly supporting fast-track permitting. The board “got” the message about time criticality and the extent and strength of community support for reconstruction of the LaFountaine building, in the Pines, for 2012, and has promised a decision “soon.”
Thank you,
PJ McAteer
· Sip·n·Twirl
· Pines Bistro
· Pines Pizza

See Previous Article:
Brookhaven Bd of Zoning Appeals & Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Org Battle Over Pines Biz District Permits