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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-12-073 - Request for Amendments to Liquor Licensing Conditi REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 16, 2012 SUBMITTED BY: Liquor Licensing Review Committee PREPARED BY: Patricia Harris, Manager of Licensing, 2854 WARD(S) INVOLVED: 9 DATE OF REPORT: April 5, 2012 REPORT NO.: FCS-12-073 SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR AMENDMENTS TO LIQUOR LICENSING CONDITIONS – BOBBY O’BRIEN’S – 125 KING ST. W. RECOMMENDATION: “That Council agrees to amend condition #13 of the agreement between the City and 1337059 Ontario Ltd. (herein referred to as the “Applicant”) to remove the requirement that all tables and chairs on the outdoor patio shall be of a plastic or resin composition, and further That Council agrees to amend condition #6 of the agreement between the City and the applicant to allow service on the patio until 1:30 a.m. daily provided all signs of service are removed and all beverages and clients are cleared form the outdoor patio by 1:45 am daily; and further That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute an amending agreement with the applicant to amend conditions #6 and #13 as set out above, and further That staff be directed to advise the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) if any condition is amended in accordance with Council’s direction herein and, if so, that the City has no concerns with any corresponding condition on the liquor licence for 1337059 Ontario Ltd. being amended accordingly, and further That Council shall not agree to amend the applicant’s agreement to allow signs of service to remain on the patio or beverages and clients to remain on the patio until 2:30 am daily and that the City shall object to any amendment of the liquor licence conditions to allow for this and shall request the AGCO to deny this request or hold a hearing in which the City will object if the applicant pursues this. BACKGROUND: On December 16, 2000 and January 22, 2001 a liquor licensing hearing was held by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) regarding the premises located at 125 King Street West. On August 31, 2001 a decision was rendered by the Hearing Committee that required several conditions be added to their liquor licence including the sale of alcohol to cease on the patio by 12:15 a.m. These conditions were added to the liquor licence because of the City’s concerns regarding the close proximity of the patio to the adjoining night club and concerns that the patio ïï ó ï could be used as a holding area for those customers wishing to enter the night club. In June of 2003, the operator of 125 King Street West returned to Council and asked that the condition regarding the patio be amended to permit the patio to close at 1:00 a.m. with all signs of service to be removed by 1:45 a.m. This amendment was approved. REPORT: Staff have received a request from Darryl Moore, operator of Bobby O’Brien’s, located at 125 King Street West requesting that Council approve an amendment to his liquor licence agreement to extend the hours of the outdoor patio to 1:30 a.m. with all signs of service removed by 2:15 a.m. He has also requested that Condition #13 of the agreement be removed which currently requires all tables and chairs on the patio to be of a plastic or resin composition. The Liquor Licensing Review Committee has met and have no concerns with the removal of Condition #13 from the agreement. Regarding Condition #6 the Committee has no concerns regarding extending the hours of the outdoor patio to 1:30 a.m. The concern is allowing the clearance of beverages and clients until 2:15 a.m. On February 6, 2012 Council agreed to add a condition to an outdoor patio for a new restaurant located at 305 King Street West that requires the operator to stop serving alcohol by 1:30 a.m daily on the outdoor patio and to clear all beverages and clients from the outdoor patio by 1:45 a.m.daily. At the time Mr. Moore appeared at Council and voiced his concerns that if the patio at the new location was allowed to be open past 1:00 a.m. that would provide an unfair competitive advantage to this new business. It is the Committee’s opinion that if at all possible, it is important to have consistency for outdoor patios in the downtown so that there is not an appearance of providing an unfair competitive advantage to any one business. Therefore, the Committee is recommending that Condition #6 be amended to permit the operator to serve alcohol on the patio until 1:30 a.m. and clear all beverages and clients from the outdoor patio by 1:45 a.m. daily. Currently there are only two patios in the downtown that have had conditions added to their liquor licence. They are Bobby O’Brien’s and The Honest Lawyer. Both patios are quite large and concerns have been raised regarding noise issues because both patios can accommodate a larger number of patrons. Staff have contacted both the AGCO and the Waterloo Regional Police and they have no concerns with allowing the hours on the patio to be extended to 1:30 a.m but do have concerns with the service of alcohol on the patio past that time. By-law Enforcement was also contacted regarding noise concerns with the outdoor patio and have no specific concerns except that the applicant is to be aware that they must comply with the City’s noise by-law. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Community Priority – Dynamic Downtown The Liquor Licence Review Committee is in place to review all establishments that propose to sell liquor in the Downtown Core. This allows Council to then review and provide comments regarding these establishments to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in order to continue to provide a safe and dynamic downtown core. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: ïï ó î Inform – A copy of the report will be provided to the Applicant prior to the Council Committee meeting date. Consult – Property owners immediately adjacent to 125 King Street West were consulted by the KDBIA and Downtown Development staff – of those consulted, there were no concerns. The Waterloo Regional Police and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) were consulted. Their only concern was that the patio not remain open for the sale of alcohol past 1:30 a.m. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: D. Chapman, Deputy CAO and City Treasurer, Finance and Corporate Services ïï ó í