Frederick E. Smith, an East Bluff resident, has submitted the following editorial regarding plans to turn the Brown Bag Video store into a 4 a.m. tavern with live entertainment. Smith spoke at the council meeting Tuesday night opposing the liquor license request.
I am very concerned about the two stories in the January 28th edition of the Peoria Journal Star concerning the issuing of a Tavern license to the current owner of the Brown Bag video on the corner of SW Adams and Oak streets and Mayor Ardis’s comments that he would rather see the owner apply for a 2 a.m. operating license instead of a 4 a.m. license. In neither of these stories by John Sharp was there mention of the second part of the request, that of a license for "Live Entertainment" at the same location.
The actual application, which is available on the City of Peoria website under the Council Agenda items, is for a Class A Tavern License with a Subclass 1 (4 a.m. closing) and a Subclass 2 (Live Entertainment). In the minutes of the application, Mr. Laud states that the business would be a "bar with a very limited menu, such as microwave stuff and no kitchen." Since the proposed location is only 2,350 square feet, there are no plans to provide any additional parking spaces, which means the patrons would be forced to park on the street.
Now here is the elephant in the room that Mr. Sharp seems to be ignoring. 2,350 square feet is not enough room for most bars to have booths and tables for patrons, the bar itself, and a band with a dance floor. As a matter of fact, having been the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for a local band in the 1990’s, I can tell you at least 80 to 100 square feet is required for a band to set up. And even if you are talking about a DJ for the Live Entertainment, you still have to factor in a dance floor. So exactly what kind of Live Entertainment do they have in mind?
With the location directly adjacent to the infamous 307 Swingers club, which I grant you is a private club, the potential for a less than wholesome family entertainment is obvious. It would seem that both 307 and Brown Bag Video are in direct opposition to the goal of creating a safe, family-friendly environment that would provide the setting for a Wrigleyville to form around the area. Granting a Tavern license with a 4 a.m. closing and a "Live Entertainment" permit to a person who already caters to the "adult" industry would seem to be a contradiction to the intent of the builders of O’Brien Field.
Perhaps we should check to make sure we have all the facts before we print the story.
Frederick E. Smith
Peoria
I agree, but let me say, as someone who lived on the north side of Chicago for several years and took the el past Wrigley Field on a daily basis, Wrigleyvile is full of bars. It really isn’t a family friendly place either. The bars are full before and after every home game though.
The Subclass 2 Live Entertainment is currently given to 59 retail liquor establishments out of a total of 145 possible tavern/restaurants or over 45% of Peoria’s liquor licensees for taverns/restaurants The requirement for subclass 2 allows restaurants/bars serving liquor to provide taverns/restaurants with a permission to provide “any live entertainment, other than a juke box”. Karoke, or a sole strumming guitarist or even just having a “live DJ” announcing the songs from a juke box or media player is NOT allowed without a subclass 2 license, so the notion that lots of floor areas associated with multiple member bands and/or dance floor area is simple NOT necessary to require the subclass. While I thought the Municipal Code had a definition of live entertainment, my research suggests it currently does not and I have contacted Corporation Counsel seeking whether a definition of live entertainment with exclusions for “live entertainment requiring and adult business license” would be beneficial and eliminate the concern that almost half the restaurants/taverns in Peoria can and do have permission for “nakedness”. I would also point out that in addition to the 59 restaurant/tavern licenses with a subclass 2, there are 72 other types of liquor establishments (for a total of 217) that CAN HAVE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT WITHOUT A SUBCLASS 2 license, so in effect 131 liquor establishments currently can have “live entertainment” in Peoria, if FACTS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE ANY STORY or OPINION IS DEVELOPED.
As to the argument/concern for closing hours, all I can remind everyone of is, 2 of Peoria’s largest employers are located directly adjacent to Peoria’s Downtown area, OSF and Methodist Hospitals. Both have large amounts of employees that work multiple and late night shifts. It is easy for members of an 8 to 5 shift mentality to forget that some workforces are just getting off at midnight and may or may not want to socialise in the same manner as those who get off at 5. Additionally all the service industry that works at earlier closing entertainment establishments have not place to go and wind down for a couple hours after they stop serving those customers who seek food and/or beverage after getting off work at 5 and home for “Johny”. It is way too unsettling for me to classify all drinkers after 9pm as drunks, alcoholics, degenerates. A 24 hour downtown nightlife is just that, a tolerate view of an urban society that all lifestyles are provided for, not just Ozzie and Harriet’s.
Ben, thank you, exactly.
I wonder if any of these city hall clowns have ever even visited Wrigleyville. It is an awesome place, probably because there are no whiny Peorians begging for an Ice Cream shoppe or a McDonalds.
And why does anyone care what people do in their own private club? 307 doesn’t exactly have picture-sized windows to the outside. WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN.
Grant the goddamn license, already.
Couple of good points, Gary, and I am certainly not implying that anyone who gets off a second or third shift job and wants to have a drink is a degenerate, drunk, or alcoholic. I have no problem with a Tavern adjacent to a ball park. But the people who own the current business have a proven track record of catering to the “alternative” lifestyles, while baseball and its followers are more “mainstream”. To give them the benefit of a doubt, perhaps they are trying to change their image and cater to a more mainstream audience. As I stated, it seems to be contradiction to have these sorts of businesses in the area where you are trying to appeal to the mainstream, not the alternative, lifestyles.
I certainly appreciate your comments, Gary…see you next meeting.
My only concern is this really being opened up with the intention of having a sports bar similar to a Joes, F house, BW’s or is it a loop hole that they are using to serve liquor to the patrons who are committing illegal activities at 307?
This does strike me a bit as a classic “it couldn’t get any worse” situation. If some sort of license isn’t granted (2 am or 4 am), there is a pretty strong likelihood that Brown Bag video remains. Right? Is the question an all-or-nothing? Completely family-friendly or not? Maybe there are degrees we should move towards. Otherwise, these same folks should oppose the sale of beer @ O’Brien Field.
Whoa, justan, who said anything about illegal activities at 307? Sure wasn’t me! 307 is a private club, you have to join and pay dues, and they have very stringent rules about what you can and can’t do in there. They have a website (no, I am not a member, nor do I care to be) where all of this is posted. But let’s stay on track. The concern with 307 is simply it’s proximity to a potential Tavern. Incidentally, they do not have a liquor license, nor do they allow drinking or intoxication on the premises. (Again, only going by what is posted on their website.)
Frederick and Justin,
I am sorry if you inferred my views of adults who drink after 9 pm implied any of your beliefs. My now 42 year old daughter at age of 4 educated me on the use and meaning of the word “whobodies”. After watching Sesame Street she asked about “whobodies”. Not that Sesame Street came up with the term, Cari did asking about all the “other bodies”. “Whobodies” are the probative questionative tense of anybody, somebody, everbody, nobody, etc. A site approval is NOT about “Whobodies”? If it was, then the only issue would be about the “Whobody” and the “Whobody” could just pass ownership to a different “Whobody” and the “reason for the decision” would become moot. Governments have to be careful basing decisions on “Whobodies” and while I feel that far to often the “Whobody” does affect some Council and Council member decisions, it has never affected mine thanks to my daughter.
As for the concern about a potential “loophole” between a bar/tavern serving alcohol and persons “committing illegal activities at 307”. I am not aware of any illegal activities at 307 and I am sure that any complaint of illegal activities at 307 will or has been investigated. If the “unstated” or “understated” concern is with respect to patrons at 307 being served alcohol at the proposed new liqour site, I believe the ONLY access would be by leaving 307 walking on public sidewalk and entering the proposed tavern. Currently the patron walking across the sidewalk/street and purchasing their alcohol at the ball park (in season, although nothing prevents the sale of alcohol from the ball park any day of the year} would net the same resulting loophole If a patron of 307 purchases alcohol from either location, it is ILLEGAL to leave either licensed premise with the alcohol(other than apparently on St Patricks Day) so I dont understand what “loophole” is being created.
Now if you are looking for loopholes for consenting adults engaging in extra-marital activities wanting to imbibe in adult beverages without walking outside or maybe the threshold is driving a car, not sure, look at the 7 current Hotels (soon to be an 8th) that have liquor licenses (10 licenses total) that patrons can move around within a building or structure purchase adult beverages as well as develop relationships between consenting adults. And guess what that activity can and does go on while the rest of the hotel/motel is or could be having a convention of seminar of Christian Family Values,…………… legally and without a Subclass 2 live entertainment license.
I wish more would have learned what I learned from my very smart 4 yo daughter………… no doubt her intelligence came from her mother’s side of the gene pool
It appears the issue now faced is discrimination. According to Fredrick’s rational, “people alternative lifestyles” don’t go to sporting events and “people of non alternative lifestyles” don’t go to businesses like Brown Bag Video. I am actually laughing. working in the field I do, I assure you those are ridiculous stereo types. Families aren’t going downtown for a variety of reasons. I would guess safety being the largest concern. I would also guess the appearance is the other. I would also pose that the same concerns these “family oriented” people fled the older parts of town to begin with are the same concerns that need to be addressed. It would seem that a late night license would be perfect. Crime reduces in areas with concentrated persons. Ball park leaves at what 10pm only a few nights a week during the sesaon and absolutely nothing during the off season.
Paul, you certainly have drawn some interesting conclusions, but your logic fails. I implied absolutely nothing about the habits of “alternative” lifestyles other than they were not “mainstream”. And if you read closely, I was very careful to state that these groups were more one or the other, and certainly did not imply there was no crossover. Back to the point, Gary, we are not dealing in Whobodys, but somebodies, namely the owners of the current Brown Bag Video and their predilection for “adult” oriented businesses. Liquor licenses, hours of operation, and the nature of the entertainment for any business wanting to open a Tavern should be taken on a case by case basis, taking into account the background of the people the license is being issued to, and the location of the business.
Whatcha wanna bet that if the Brown Bag gets what it wants it changes its name within two years?
But the people who own the current business have a proven track record of catering to the “alternative” lifestyles, while baseball and its followers are more “mainstream”.
My logic is based on: what is the above statement based on?
Paul, I would say the people who own an “adult” video store and a Swingers club are pretty obviously catering to the “alternative” lifestyles, unless you have some evidence to the contrary. I do not believe the majority of people are swapping wives or going over to the local porn shop on a daily or even weekly basis. Now I am not condemning that lifestyle, so long as they practice safe sex. And I am certain many “mainstream” people have occasionally indulged in pornography or other venues of “alternative” recreation to spice up their sex lives. But I do not believe this makes them a member of a group that routinely uses these methods in their lives. Does that clear that up for you? Or is it necessary for me to draw pictures. I am quite capable of “dumbing down” the dialogue to the sixth grade reading level, if this is getting too deep for you.
PS, SD…the suggested name for the Tavern would be “Wheels”, according to the minutes of the application document that is on file with the agenda on the City’s website. The owner stated he might use some sort of car theme in the Tavern, but stated he was not sure what the end result would be.
Frederick, do you have any plans for after you’ve molded Peoria and its society according to your particular vison?
Interesting question, coming from a person who claims there is nothing to be afraid of. But when I search that name on the internet, a funny thing occurs. It seems the complete phrase in Latin is “With God’s help, there is nothing to be afraid of” or variations of that phrase.
Sorry to disappoint you, non timendum, but I have no plans to dominate Peoria or any other venue. Simply trying to say what I think. I do believe that is allowed under the 2nd amendment, right?
Deo adjuvante, non timendum, I like that…think I will have it made into a plaque for my wall.
I find that Gary (1st comment) and Frederick have valid points. I also don’t have an answer. I guess we do what we usually do – regulate such activity and try to keep it to a dull roar.
Ooops, talk about a faux paus. Guess I deserve a slap on the wrist for claiming a 1st amendment right under the 2nd. Well, they are both good, but I was actually asserting my 1st amendment rights. I’ll hang on to my 2nd amendment rights to defend my 1st. FOID card in hand, of course.
Ummmmm…..and why did the city of Peoria think it was such a bright idea to allow Brown Bag video and 307 to be so close to a “family friendly” ball park? And if they were there before the ball park was constructed, couldn’t some sort of deal be made that would have relocated those seedy joints to another part of the city? Why not locate Big Als and other seedy places to one street in the city. It would sure make it easier for the police to conduct patrols.
Will someone please fire the brain dead urban planners and get some “New Urbanist” planners hired ASAP. Thank you!