Festa v. NYC – Appeal Decision

The Festa case was appealed to the Appellate Division, First Department, which upheld the lower court: “Recreational dancing is not a form of expression protected by the federal or state constitution ( see Dallas v Stanglin, 490 US 19; Kent’s Lounge v City of New York, 104 AD2d 397, appeal dismissed65 NY2d 636). Accordingly, the Cabaret Law and attendant zoning regulations challenged by plaintiffs are subject to rational basis review ( Stanglin, supra). The legislative purposes in enacting these provisions were plainly legitimate, i.e., to protect the health, safety and general welfare of the public by limiting, inter alia, noise, congestion and various hazards in residential areas, and to protect the local retail development. It is manifest that the regulations, to the extent challenged by plaintiffs, bear the requisite rational relation to these permissible governmental objectives. We modify only to declare in defendants’ favor ( see Lanza v Wagner, 11 NY2d 317, 334, cert denied 371 US 901). [ See 12 Misc 3d 466 (2006).]”

02/22/2007
Festa v. New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, 37 A.D.3d 343 (N.Y. App. Div. 2007)

New Primary Dance Reg Template