04-12-2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, March 22,2004 7:00 o’clock p.m. (4. ON SALE LIQUOR LICENSE PUBLIC HEARING - PA UL ODE - NA VARRE LANES continued) stated he has advised Council that they have the right to determine that other health and safety impacts may occur and that it’s on that basis that the staff report talks about that there are impacts on the neighborhood and the traffic and would be a basis on which the Council could deny. With respect to the larger question on the use of the property, he has not recently heard a developer like Mr. Hoyt offer a moratorium, but at some point the City may wish to take a look at how that area is zoned and how it zones its liquA.u’ license applications. There is not currently a lot of zoning dealing with liquor licenst.; ■••xJ the Council may wish to consider that. Finally, in regards to the 3.2 liquor license currently in place at this site, under state law at this time, it requires an independent hearing examiner be appointed and if the Council made a resolution for staff to prepare a Complaint or an effort to withdraw the 3.2 liquor license than it would be a requirement that the City identify and hire an independent hearing examiner, have a hearing in front of the examiner, and have a report come back to the City Council under which it could make a decision. Sansevere stated to Mr. Ode and Mr. Keavney that he would have no problem with the bowling alley opening with a pizza factory or any kind of pizza. He continued by inquiring if the City has a requirement to prevent a liquor license being utilized at that site in the future. Attorney Barrett stated he is not sure he knows the history of the setup liquor license and can’t advise Council on that question at this time. White stated home is where the heart is and the community is .vherc the home is and it is not surprising that all these people turned out this evening. He stated he couldn’t think of a worse location to have a liquor license. He is opposed and agrees with the residents. White also said he is concerned about the application process indicating the City is very tough with residents that have a small amount of hardcover and we find out when we measure that the whole thing is a parking lot. We make them remove that hardcover. When an applicant comes in and signs a liquor license application and it is submitted to the Police Department and the application has obvious errors and falsehoods, then the City has a real problem. White would support getting a hearing examiner to look at this whole issue. We are tougli on honesty. He is opposed to this application. Mayor Peterson indicated she is opposed to this application for a liquor license not only for the health, safety and welfare issues that have been brought up this evening but also because a full liquor license is not an appropriate use for that location. She stated she and Mr. Keavney are schoolmates and she bowled as a teenager at this bowling alley back in 1965 PAGE 11 of 23