The city should take steps to defend the rights of residents plagued by disruptive drinking establishments in their neighborhoods.
Continuing complaints from neighbors of a drinking establishment in North Lawrence raise questions about how far the city can or should go to protect residents from businesses that disrupt their neighborhoods.
On Tuesday, city commissioners held up the renewal of a liquor license for the newly renamed Club 508 located at 508 Locust. Many Lawrence residents will recognize the bar by its previous name, Los Amigos. The bar's location makes regular appearances on the police blotter for a variety of incidents including shootings and other violent activities. It also has been the subject of continuing complaints from residents in the neighborhood who find people urinating in their yards as well as trash and debris from apparent drug use.
City officials have negotiated at length with the owner of Los Amigos and now Club 508 in an attempt to correct the situation, but to little avail. A requirement for earlier closing hours was considered and the owner of the club was ordered to hire a security guard to patrol the grounds on some nights of the week. But problems continue and the owner of the club apparently believes he has done as much as he should be required to.
"Since I'm zoned for the business, I think I have the right to run my business there," he said.
Most local residents would, no doubt, defend his right to operate a business, but neighbors and neighborhoods also have rights. They shouldn't have to put up with a business that allows its customers to become a nuisance, if not a danger, to people in nearby residences.
Whether it's in North Lawrence, the Oread Neighborhood, in Lawrence's downtown, or any other location, drinking establishments should be regulated in a way that doesn't allow them to trample on the rights of other people in the area. That includes creating trash, disturbing the peace or allowing violent incidents.
The owner of Club 508 seems to believe that because his business conforms to current zoning, that neighbors simply have to live with the consequences. Whether or not this situation is legal, it simply isn't right. Perhaps zoning changes are needed to move such establishments out of residential areas. City officials were able to draw up new regulations that will force sexually oriented businesses to locate away from residentially zoned property. Could similar action be considered to control drinking establishments?
If not, the city should consider making more use of its ability to deny liquor licenses to establishments that create a public nuisance. City officials have the right to exert that power and they owe it to residents to do so.
The situation in North Lawrence appears to be one that no homeowner should be expected to tolerate. Business owners have rights but so do residents.
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