Licensing committee continues work on Sixth Street

City officials and another Sixth Street bar in something of a standoff over licensing of the bar.

The Place on Sixth Street, owned by former Alderman Keith Fair, is in the process of amending the premises description on its liquor license for 509 Sixth St. It's a common step many local bars are taking before the City Council's Public Safety and Licensing Committee in response to the smoking ban. While people aren't allowed to carry drinks with them outside of a bar, even if they're going out to smoke, changing the premises description gives bar owners some protection if patron slips outside with a drink. (It's a different matter if the same patron starts walking down the street with the drink. Then the bar owner could be subject to fines.)

The Place on Sixth, which has a rocky relationship with the Public Safety and Licensing Committee, brought its proposed changes before the committee on Sept. 13. In addition to the smoking concerns, Fair also wanted to accommodate upstairs tenants. The committee voted to defer action two weeks until Fair brought in a diagram of his proposed changes. One problem that's being studied at the The Place on Sixth is customers leaving the bar through the back door onto Seventh Street. Changes to the premises description may be able to solve that problem, and help the bar avoid further review by the committee.

The Public Safety and Licensing Committee's interest in Sixth Street is ongoing. It recently agreed to suspend the liquor license of a popular night club at Sixth Street and Park Avenue over a series of police calls and general problems in the club's vicinity. But with the club, Park 6, closed for 45 days, large crowds still gathered over the weekend on Park Avenue at bar closing time. Most of the people on the streets came from The Place on Sixth, according to people who were there.

The committee is scheduled to vote on The Place on Sixth's new premises description tonight. Whether Fair can reach an agreement with the city is yet to be seen.

Also at tonight's meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. in Room 205 of City Hall:

• The Fire Chief needs a hold harmless agreement for a training exercise at Batten International Airport in the near future. 
• The Park Inn, 2312 Douglas Ave., is seeking a Class "B" and "Class C" license. 
• Joe Madisen of Pepi's Pub and Grill, 618 6th St., is looking to amend his premises description to include the sidewalk area within his property lines. Like other bars this is in response to the smoking ban.
• Daniel Daams, of Double D's, 1307 Douglas Ave., is being called in for an incident on Sept. 4. 
• Rhino Bar, 1659 N. Main St., is being called in for an incident on Aug. 27. 

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