The Liquor Licensing Board has placed George Town party bar Margaritaville on probation, after hearing complaints from the nearby Elmslie Memorial Church about drunkenness, littering and noise pollution that is disrupting church activities.
The LLB’s decision to place Margaritaville on probation came as a surprise, after Margaretville and Elmslie Church seemed to have agreed to work together to overcome their differences during the LLB’s annual meeting Friday.
The bar, which is part owned by the Dart Group, now has until the board’s next meeting in December to show that the situation has been resolved.
Elmslie Church’s attorney Truman Bodden and Administrator John McMillan objected to an annual renewal of the bar’s retail liquor and music and dancing licenses, and asked that the bar’s balconies be closed, to prevent noise spilling out through the doors.
They proposed the license be changed to a restaurant license, a suggestion resisted by Licensee Renard Moxom and Bar Manager Arthur Screaton.
Mr. McMillan said ‘interactive shouting’ between entertainers and patrons was proving particularly disruptive, but acknowledged that the bar’s operators had been cooperative at times, turning music down on occasions such as funerals.
‘It is causing a lot of noise for the church, both in the administrative building and the main church hall,’ said Mr. Bodden. ‘A few dollars is not worth the harm to the church and its consecrated ground.’
Mr. Moxom acknowledged there had been a couple of incidents during the bar’s first year, but claimed the church’s objections were unjustified. Additional security has been enlisted after an incident that required the police to attend, Mr. Moxom said, adding that Margaritaville took pride in the fact it has never contravened its liquor license.
‘On any occasion when we believe we are posing a nuisance to the church, we go across to the church to work it out.’
Margaritaville is hyper-sensitive to anything happening at the church, said Mr. Screaton. ‘We respect the fact that we have an uneasy existence with the church.’
But the proposal to enclose the building is not viable, argued Mr. Moxom, as the bar was originally designed to catch the prevailing wind from the east, eliminating the need to pay expensive air-conditioning bills. This was reflected in Margaritaville’s business plan, he added.
‘To now enclose that area and pay AC would be a disaster. It just doesn’t work for us.’
Mr. Bodden fired back that his church could take up an offering to pay Mr. Dart’s air-conditioning bill if it meant the balcony doors would be closed.
Mr. Moxom said the Margaritaville balcony is important in giving visitors the feeling they are on a tropical island. In any event, he questioned why no one objected to the planning and liquor license applications when they were first submitted.
‘Money is not everything in our business but if the church is to ask the board to reduce our square footage, what compensation do we get? The design of the facility was at the Planning Department for six to 12 weeks and all the designs, including the balcony, were there.
‘Each square meter translates into revenue to pay expenses including rent, electricity and salaries.’
Though they will not be closing their balcony doors, Mr. Screeton pledged to work with Elmslie to resolve the issue of noise. Mr. McMillan indicated he was hopeful they could work their issues out together.
It was not the only objection Elmslie made to the five-member Liquor Licensing Board Friday. The church also objected to an application by Marcus Cumber of the Regatta Cafe, another of Elmslie’s neighbours.
Mr. Cumber had applied for permission to remain open until 1am Monday to Thursday and until midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Presently, the bar can only stay open until 5pm.
Mr. Cumber said it was hard to make ends meet financially and an extension would make his business more profitable.
But Mr. Bodden said Elmslie objected as it would cause further noise and disturbance in an area where there were already too many licences.
On Friday the LLB confirmed they had denied Mr. Cumber’s application, but did not give reasons for their decision.
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