City Commission Renews All 22 Liquor Licenses in City

Plymouth’s City Commission renewed all 22 liquor licenses in the city Monday, but four liquor serving establishments were met with scrutiny by the city's Liquor License Review Committee before approval.

, the , and were all on the list to be considered for a nonrenewal recommendation to the state of Michigan.

1999 Tavern is currently closed, but its owner is in the process of selling the building and the liquor license to another establishment. The tavern was on the nonrenewal list because it owes $6,776.78 to the city of Plymouth. The business was also in violation of the state of Michigan Liquor Control Commission when it was caught serving alcohol to minors in January 2010 and when it served alcohol without a liquor license in November.

Part of the reason the City Commission agreed to approve the renewal of the license hinged on the fact that the bar would no longer be operating in Plymouth.

"With no disrespect to you," Plymouth Mayor Dan Dwyer said, addressing business owner Tom Ortman, "I'm not voting on anything that will allow you to run a liquor establishment in this town."

Robert Kolo, who is involved with the new restaurant, Panache 447, was also at the meeting and addressed the committee about plans to take over the space located on 447 Forest Ave.

Sean O'Callaghan's was on the nonrenewal list for an outstanding bill with the city for $581.30 and for a high number of police interventions at the bar.

According to Police Chief Al Cox, Sean O'Callaghan's accounted for 11 of the 44 interventions he had to make with liquor-serving establishments in the city in the past year.

Owner Sam Khashan said he would do "whatever it takes" to keep the police interventions down.

"I'm going to talk to my staff seriously," Khashan said, "and make them understand that if things keep on this way, I'll lose my liquor license, and they'll lose their jobs. This is my life, and I don't want to lose it."

The committee decided to recommend that Sean O'Callaghan's license be renewed, but under the condition that Khashan check in with the Liquor License Review Committee four times a year to assess the bar's progress.

Co-owner Tony Belli came to speak on behalf of E.G. Nick's, which was on the nonrenewal list for owing $33,044.03 to the city in past-due bills.

Belli promised that the bills would be paid by March 29, and the committee recommended that the license be renewed.

The Rock Bar & Grill was on the nonrenewal list due to pending structural violations with the Wayne County Health Department. Co-owner Kevin Montagano said most of the issues have been resolved and that the bar is waiting for a second inspection by the county.

The Liquor License Review Committee recommended that the Rock Bar & Grill have its license renewed because the county had just notified the owners of the violations in February and gave them a year to resolve them.