Peoria Standard

City of Peoria Liquor Commission met June 5.

Here is the minutes provided by the Commission:

A meeting of the City of Peoria Liquor Commission was held in Room 404, City Hall, 419 Fulton Street, Peoria, Illinois, on June 5, 2017, Chairman Pro Tem Miller presiding, with proper notice having been posted.

Roll Call: Present: Commissioners: Camille Coates, Scott Kelsey, Mike Miller, Mike O’Brien - 4; Absent: Chairman Cassidy - 1.

Others present: Deputy Liquor Commissioner Eric Turner; Deputy Corporation Counsel Sonni Williams; Liquor Investigator Kevin Slavens; Senior Urban Planner Leah Allison; Deputy Clerk Trina Bonds; concerned citizens and media.

I. Call to Order

Chairman Pro Tem Miller called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.

II. Approval of Minutes

Commissioner O’Brien moved to approve the Minutes of the April 3, 2017, Liquor Commission Meeting, as outlined; seconded by Commissioner Coates.

Approved by roll call vote: Yeas: Coates, Kelsey, Miller, O’Brien - 4; Nays: None; Abstention: None.

III. Liquor Site Applications

Chairman Pro Tem Miller read the amendment to Section 3-57, which will be read at the beginning of every Liquor Commission Meeting.

“The Liquor Commission is a recommending body with respect to site approval. Our function is to determine if the location of an establishment is appropriate for the class of liquor license being requested and then make a recommendation to the City Council as to whether the application should be approved or denied. The City Council makes the final decision.

Under Section 3-57 of the Code of the City of Peoria any misrepresentation or false statement made to either this Commission or the City Council relating to the proposed business to be operated on the site can result in a denial of your liquor license; suspension and/or revocation of a license if already issued, and a fine of up to $1,000.”

Request to Move Agenda Item Due to the applicant for Liquor Commission Case No. 17-10 not being present, Commissioner Coates moved to place the item at the end of the agenda; seconded by Commissioner Kelsey.

Approved by roll call vote: Yeas: Coates, Kelsey, Miller, O’Brien - 4; Nays: None; Abstention: None.

17-11 Anchors Away Corp d/b/a Anchors Away 4100 Willow Knolls Road, Suite C-12 Requesting: Class B (restaurant, 50% food) Subclass 3A (Sidewalk Café)

Jeff Moore, Owner, presented a Site Application for a Class B (restaurant, 50% food) Liquor License, with a Subclass 3A (sidewalk café) at 4100 Willow Knolls Road, Suite C-12.

In discussion with Chairman Pro Tem Miller, Mr. Moore gave a brief description of the location of his restaurant and he said the business opened in February of 2017.

In response to a question from Commissioner O’Brien, Mr. Moore said the sidewalk café would be located on the corner side of the property. He said he planned to serve more wine and margarita type drinks.

In discussion about the sidewalk café, Senior Urban Planner Allison explained that the request was a permitted use per Zoning and she said there was a Special Use for the shopping center at that location.

During more discussion, Mr. Moore confirmed that he was aware of the fact that he needed to comply with ADA requirements. He said he would be putting in two gates that would allow accessible routes to the seating.

Commissioner Kelsey made the applicant aware that he also needed to comply with the Fire Dept. regulations for the proposed door that it shall be of the pivoted or side-hinged type that swings with the egress instead of swinging inward.

In more discussion with Commissioner O’Brien, Mr. Moore said their hours of operation were from 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday thru Thursday and from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. He said they might consider extending hours until 12:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Hearing no more questions, Chairman Pro Tem Miller called for the motion.

Commissioner O’Brien moved to recommend approval of the Site Application for a Class B (tavern) Liquor License, with a Subclass 3A (sidewalk café) at 4100 Willow Knolls Road, Suite C-12; seconded by Commissioner Coates.

Approved by roll call vote. Yeas: Coates, Kelsey, Miller, O’Brien - 4; Nays: None.

Chairman Pro Tem Miller stated this recommendation would be heard at the City Council Meeting to be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. and a representative of this establishment should be present at that meeting.

17-10 Martinez Maciel, LP d/b/a La Favorita 1621 N. Knoxville Ave. Requesting: Class B (restaurant, 50% food)

Ricardo Martinez and Jesus Martinez, Owners, presented a Site Application for a Class B (restaurant, 50% food) Liquor License at 1621 N. Knoxville Ave.

In discussion with Chairman Pro Tem Miller, Mr. Jesus Martinez said they wanted to have a grocery store/restaurant. He said they wanted to be able to serve liquor with meals in the restaurant. He added that they had not planned any major remodeling to the interior and he said they only added a few walls. He said they were not currently open.

Chairman Pro Tem Miller mentioned previous concerns for the subject property in regards to the effects of adding the sale of alcohol to the neighborhood. He said the Commission and the City Council had approved a stipulation on the approval of a previous request that packaged liquor sales would not be permitted at this site.

For clarification, Commissioner Coates asked if the applicants were asking for approval of packaged liquor sales. Both applicants clarified that they were not asking for approval of packaged liquor sales at the subject property.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Williams referred to comments that were submitted from the Community Development Department in regards to the parking lot and the dumpster. She informed the applicants that the liquor license would not be issued until they were in compliance with all of the Community Development Department’s concerns.

Mr. Jesus Martinez said they had addressed the majority of the concerns stated, except the restriping and the repairing of the parking lot.

In response to a question from Commissioner O’Brien in regards to the code violations of the previous owner and whether they had planned to make the place look better for the neighborhood, Mr. Ricardo Martinez explained that they had already painted and cleaned up the exterior. Mr. Jesus Martinez said because of their improvements, the place looked much cleaner now.

Tommie Washington, Neighborhood Resident, said his back yard was located near the subject property. He said he did not have a problem with a new business opening up at this site, but he spoke in regards to the poor condition of it when it was operated by the owners of the previous restaurant at that location. He said the smell and the garbage was horrible. He submitted a handout with signatures of neighborhood residents who were affected by the code violations of the previous business. He said he had lived in the neighborhood since 1985 and he said they did not have any problems until the previous owner opened up for business. He said he and the affected neighbors wanted to be assured that those conditions would not happen again.

After hearing comments from Mr. Washington, Mr. Ricardo Martinez invited him to stop by the establishment that afternoon to take a look at the improvements on the property. Mr. Washington responded that he had noticed the work that was being done and he commended the applicants on their accomplishments. He said the neighbors wanted to make sure they wouldn’t have to experience the same conditions that were previously at that site.

During more discussion, the applicants acknowledged the previous problems at the site, but stated they were not affiliated with the previous owners and they had planned to run a nice establishment.

Hearing no more questions, Chairman Pro Tem Miller called for the motion.

Commissioner Coates moved to recommend approval of the Site Application for a Class B (tavern) Liquor License at 1621 N. Knoxville, with the stipulation prohibiting packaged alcoholic beverage sales for offsite consumption and contingent upon the compliance with all Community Development Department’s concerns; seconded by Commissioner O’Brien.

Approved by roll call vote. Yeas: Coates, Kelsey, Miller, O’Brien - 4; Nays: None.

Chairman Pro Tem Miller stated this recommendation would be heard at the City Council Meeting to be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. and a representative of this establishment should be present at that meeting.

IV. Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business to discuss.

V. New Business

Farewell & Best Wishes

Deputy Corporation Counsel Sonni Williams informed the Commission that after 17 years, she was leaving to pursue a job as the City Attorney for the City of Lockport. She invited Commissioners to attend her Farewell Party on June 7th at 3:30 p.m. in the Legal Department. The Commission commended her for a job well done and thanked her for her dedicated years of service to the City of Peoria.

VI. Next Scheduled Meeting

The next scheduled regular meeting of the Liquor Commission is Monday, July 3, 2017.

Liquor Commission – June 5, 2017

VII. Adjournment

Commissioner Coates moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Commissioner Kelsey.

Approved by viva voce vote.

The Liquor Commission Meeting adjourned at 3:52 p.m.

http://www.peoriagov.org/content/uploads/2012/11/Minutes-6-5-17_1498765930_add.pdf