Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners
May 20, 2009
A regular session of the Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners is held Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 6:45 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI.
Present – Chairperson Kinch, Councilors Barros, Barry, Chadwick, Hodge, Moran, Tetreault, Vitali, and Wildenhain.
Absent – 0.
Chairperson Kinch presides.
The reading of the records of May 6, 2009 is dispensed with and the records are approved as prepared by the Clerk.
UPON UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF THE BOARD, THE BOARD TAKES UP THE FOLLOWING:
Communication from Robert J. Ameen, Attorney, to Pawtucket City Council. (Dancinbr Enterprises LLC d/b/a Ray’s Boulevard Tap, 572 Armistice Blvd)
FORMAL HEARING
CLASS C
Dancinbr Enterprises LLC d/b/a Ray’s Boulevard Tap, 572 Armistice Blvd. LIC#5049
Communication from Robert J. Ameen, Attorney, to Pawtucket City Council. (Dancinbr Enterprises LLC d/b/a Ray’s Boulevard Tap, 572 Armistice Blvd) is READ AND ORDERED FILED.
THE MATTER OF A FORMAL HEARING REGARDING THE FOLLOWING LICENSE, WHICH WAS LAID ON THE TABLE AT THE MEETINGS HELD FEBRUARY 25, MARCH 11 AND MAY 6, 2009, IS AGAIN TAKEN UP:
CLASS C
Dancinbr Enterprises LLC d/b/a Ray’s Boulevard Tap, 572 Armistice Blvd. LIC#5049
Representing the City of Pawtucket is Margaret Lynch-Gadaleta, City Solicitor.
Representing the license holder is attorney Thomas A. Hanley.
Also present is the attorney Robert Ameen, representing Leonora Marques, former license holder.
Ms. Lynch-Gadaleta states that they may have a proposed resolution on this matter for the Board to consider.
Mr. Ameen states that Mrs. Marques holds a $200,000 mortgage on the property.
Mr. Ameen asks if the board would consider transferring the license back to Mrs. Marques.
There are no other speakers.
The Hearing is closed.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.
Upon motion made by Councilor Wildenhain, seconded by Councilor Barry, the formal hearing on the following license is LAID ON THE TABLE FOR A MAXIMUM OF 60 DAYS TO ALLOW FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE LICENSE BACK TO FORMER LICENSE HOLDER on a unanimous voice vote:
CLASS C
Dancinbr Enterprises LLC d/b/a Ray’s Boulevard Tap, 572 Armistice Blvd. LIC#5049
THE BOARD RECESSES AT 6:52 P.M.
THE BOARD RECONVENES AT 8:02 P.M.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CHADWICK.
With majority consent of the Council, Councilor Chadwick introduces the following communication:
Communication from Bedros Koosherian, owner of the Strachan Building located at 570 to 582 Smithfield Avenue, to Pawtucket City Council. (Four (4) additional parking spaces for La Arepa Restaurant)
Upon motion made by Councilor Chadwick, seconded by Councilor Hodge, the following communication is READ AND ORDERED FILED.
Communication from Bedros Koosherian owner of the Strachan Building located at 570 to 582 Smithfield Avenue, to Pawtucket City Council. (Four (4) additional parking spaces for La Arepa Restaurant)
THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION FOR LICENSE WAS LAID ON THE TABLE AT THE MEETING HELD MAY 6, 2009 AND IS AGAIN TAKEN UP:
CLASS B (Limited) NEW
La Arepa LLC d/b/a La Arepa, 574 Smithfield Ave. LIC#5077
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR CHADWICK.
Upon motion made by Councilor Chadwick, seconded by Councilor Hodge, the following license is GRANTED, on a unanimous voice vote:
CLASS B (Limited) NEW
La Arepa LLC d/b/a La Arepa, 574 Smithfield Ave. LIC#5077
THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEARING WAS RECESSED AND THE APPLICATION FOR LICENSE WAS LAID ON THE TABLE AT THE MEETING HELD MAY 6, 2009, AND IS AGAIN TAKEN UP:
CLASS B (Limited) NEW
J & K Restaurant, Inc., d/b/a Rosa’s Kitchen, 757 Main St. LIC#5094
Representing the license holder is George Hovarth, attorney.
Mr. Hovarth states that Rosa’s is a minority owned restaurant.
The restaurant has been open for five years. She serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is open seven days a week. The restaurant has 34 seats.
The daughter of the owner lives upstairs.
Mr. Hovarth states that city ordinance Sec. 108-2 does not require on-site parking. There are 5 spots in the lot and 10 on the street.
The business has a track record.
Mr. Hovarth states that he has been in that restaurant and has never seen more than 8-10 patrons in there at one time.
Councilor Vitali believes that there is adequate parking.
Mr. Hovarth asks Councilor Wildenhain about Heritage Tap, saying that there is no off-street parking. Councilor Wildenhain agrees that it’s all on-street parking.
Chairperson Kinch asks Mr. Cassidy to come to the podium for zoning questions. Mr. Cassidy states that a business that has been there for years is grandfathered under the zoning ordinance. He does not believe that adding liquor intensifies the use nor does it change the number of parking spaces needed for zoning purposes.
Speaking in favor is Peter Blieden, 39 Cambria Court, Pawtucket, RI.
Mr. Blieden states that he wants Rosa’s to get the license. However, he went to the restaurant one day at 12:30 pm and there were 9 people inside, including 2 children. He states that he saw a car drive into the Woodlawn Credit Union parking lot across the street. He then saw 30 cars show up over a forty-five minute span and pull up next to the driver’s side window of the parked car. Mr. Blieden states that it obviously was a drug fest.
He states that if the Board wants to help Rosa’s, they would help her move to a better location.
Speaking in opposition is Alvin Morris Williams, 745 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI.
Mr. Williams states that he owns the Emond Oil building. He moved to Pawtucket two years ago.
He states that bringing alcohol into the area will cause problems. He does not want fuel added to the fire. He states that there is a lot of noise between 9:00 pm -12:00 am.
Speaking in opposition is Rick Main, 768 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI.
Mr. Main states that he owns Mainline Paint and he is on the Board of Woodlawn Credit Union.
The credit union put a fence up last week around their parking lot and it will be chained. The lot is solely for credit union customers.
He states that the neighborhood is not condusive to alcohol. People of questionable character go to Rosa’s. He states that the neighborhood has gone down hill over the last 15-20 years.
He states that they picked up 35 bags of trash in the lot coming from Rosa’s.
He believes that there is not enough parking, unless people park on the street in front of other businesses.
There are no other speakers.
The Hearing is closed.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BARROS.
Upon motion made by Councilor Barros, seconded by Councilor Vitali, the following license is APPROVED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – Councilors Barros, Moran, Tetreault, Vitali and Wildenhain.
NOES - President Kinch, Councilors Barry, Chadwick and Hodge.
CLASS B (Limited) NEW
J & K Restaurant, Inc., d/b/a Rosa’s Kitchen, 757 Main St. LIC#5094
Upon motion made by Councilor Hodge, seconded by Councilor Barry, the meeting is adjourned at 9:07 p.m.