Politics & Government

Public Hearing Tonight About Revocation of Rock Bar & Grill's Liquor License

No decision will be made tonight, but public invited to weigh in on fate of business' liquor license.

The public is asked to weigh in tonight on the Rock Bar & Grill, a downtown Plymouth establishment that could face revocation of its state-issued liquor license after numerous City of Plymouth Liquor Management Ordinance violations, according to a meeting packet for today's 7 p.m. Plymouth City Commission meeting. 

A public hearing is set for the meeting tonight at Plymouth City Hall. The city will not make a decision after tonight's hearing, however, opting to wait until after a second public hearing on Jan. 7, when the business' lawyer will be present. 

"Recommending revocation to the State of Michigan Liquor Control Commission is a viable option that the city has in its (Liquor Management) Ordinance," City Manager Paul Sincock states in a memo included in the meeting packet.

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However, he said, most businesses attempt to bring their operations "back into line with community standards" when faced with revocation of a liquor license.

Among the incidents and liquor-related violations reported in the meeting packet:

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  • A 2009 arrest of a bar employee on charges of operating while intoxicated after consuming drinks at the Rock Bar & Grill and registering a .179 blood-alcohol content — more than twice the legal limit of .08. 
  • A 2010 arrest of a bar patron registering a .30 BAC — nearly four times the legal limit. 
  • A 2011 arrest of a bar patron who registered a BAC of .22—nearly three times the legal limit—after her vehicle crashed into a light pole.
  • Police finding a man passed out in front of an adjacent funeral home and deemed by police to be "extremely intoxicated." The man refused a test for BAC. 
  • A Jan. 7 arrest of a man who had reportedly blacked out from drinking before entering the Rock Bar & Grill, was then served additional drinks before exiting the bar and assaulting a woman on Penniman Avenue. The man registered a BAC of .253.
  • A March 10 report of fighting at the bar where a man who had become aggressive with responding police officers registered a .144 BAC.
  • A July 27 citation for serving beer on an outdoor patio of the business at 4 a.m. — two hours past the 2 a.m. curfew for serving alcoholic beverages. 
  • A Sept. 2 arrest of a bar patron who had crashed into a business on South Harvey, registering a .15 BAC.
  • An Oct. 7 report of three men assaulting the manager of the Rock Bar & Grill in an adjacent lot after reportedly drinking at the business. 
  • A Dec. 2 arrest of two men accused of leaving the bar, each with an open alcoholic beverage container. The men reportedy registered BACs of .253 and .214.
  •  A Dec. 6 report of a woman lying in the roadway on Penniman Avenue whose male accomplice told police the two were drinking at the Rock Bar & Grill before the woman collapsed while trying to enter the man's vehicle. Police registered a .313 BAC from the woman and a .226 from the man. 

Additionally, the meeting packet indicates, the business has repeatedly violated the city's sign ordinance—ever after notices were issued seeking corrective action—and has had numerous citations for noise violations. 


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