Almost 50 local residents were in attendance Thursday as the Kosciusko Alcoholic Beverages Commission heard requests for three new alcohol permits.The board voted unanimously to approve a new beer, wine and liquor license for Pie-Eyed Petey's, 70 EMS T17 Lane, Leesburg, and posted mixed votes on beer and wine requests from McClure Oil, 311 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, and Lance's New Market, 306 S. Main St., North Webster.
Owner Barbara Hamer and attorney Vern Landis represented Pie-Eyed Petey's. Twenty-three area residents in attendance signed a list indicating they were there to support Hamer's request; six signed indicating they were against the request.
Attorney Steve Snyder, representing area residents opposed to Hamer's request, presented a petition signed by seven residents and property owners within 500 feet of Pie-Eyed Petey's opposing the license request. Snyder said Hamer's request is an unusual one because of the location of her establishment. Snyder said, though the Kosciusko County commissioners approved a rezoning of the property from residential to commercial earlier this year, for the purposes of state alcohol law, the property is still considered residential.
Several in attendance spoke against or on behalf of the request.
Joyce Paris said she lives across the channel from Pie Eyed Petey's. She said she is concerned about noise levels and increased boat and car traffic associated with the restaurant.
"I just think there would be a better place for a bar than in our neighborhood," Paris said.
Several others echoed Paris' concerns.
Hamer said that controlling the noise levels at her restaurant is a priority.
"I'm not trying to turn this into a party place," she said. "I want it to be a place you can sit down with your neighbor and have a beer or cocktail."
Hamer said, to avoid disturbing the peace in the neighborhood, she will not allow outdoor, live music at Pie Eyed-Petey's.
Several other residents spoke on behalf of Hamer's request, including Sharon Richardson of nearby Tippe Mobile Court. Richardson said a bar at Pie-Eyed Petey's would provide a convenient local place for neighborhood residents to relax.
Kelly McClure represented McClure Oil. McClure said her company's gas station and convenience store in Syracuse is one of 34 the company owns, 23 of which currently have alcohol permits.
ABC members expressed concern that the availability of alcohol in convenience stores increases the risk of it being obtained by minors.
"Once you have the permit, that's responsibility you don't have right now," Board President Gordon Vanator told McClure.
"We operate 23 other locations with permits," McClure said. "We're well aware of our responsibility. We take on that responsibility on a daily basis."
Board member Elim Smith said there are currently multiple establishments which sell alcohol in Syracuse.
"I just don't see the need for it in this location," Smith said.
"Our customers have expressed the need for it," McClure said.
She said her company is pursuing the permit because customer feedback has indicated it will increase sales.
"I don't think that because there are other places selling that should discriminate against our business," McClure said. "We pay taxes in the county as well, why should we be excluded from this product line?"
Vanator, Board Member Kenneth Johnson and Indiana Excise Officer April Tackett voted to approve McClure's request; Smith voted to deny.
Clete Miller, owner of Lance's New Market, said customer demand was what initiated his request for a beer and wine license.
"It's our most requested item from our customers," Miller said.
Miller told the board he owns five stores in Indiana and none have ever had an alcohol violation. Nine people in attendance indicated they were there to support Miller's request; four indicated they were opposed to the request.
"We do not need it, we don't want it," said North Webster resident Helen Hoy. "Are we going to be known as the liquor place?"
The request brought another mixed vote from the board with Tackett, Smith and Johnson voting to approve and Vanator voting to deny.
"I really have a problem approving every permit that comes to us," said Vanator. "I think I'm not doing my job as a public servant if I just rubber stamp everything. Nothing against what you're doing, gentlemen, but, where do we draw the line?"
All three permits will likely be reviewed by the Indiana Alcoholic Beverages Commission in an upcoming hearing. The state will make the final determination on McClure's and Miller's requests because they were not unanimously approved by the local board.
In the case of Pie-Eyed Petey's, though it was unanimously approved locally, Snyder said his clients plan to petition the state for a denial of Hamer's request. Snyder said, by state law, a permit cannot be granted to an establishment within 500 feet of an area that is 75 percent residential if 51 percent of registered voters within 500 feet of the establishment sign a petition against it. Snyder said there are about 20 registered voters within 500 feet of Pie-Eyed Petey's. He said, if four more of those voters sign his clients' petition, he feels the state will not allow the permit.
