LAKEPORT — The Lakeport City Council Tuesday continued an appeal hearing of the Lakeport Planning Commission”s ruling regarding live entertainment at The Full Throttle Tavern at the request of the city staff.
The commission voted 4-0 to suspend the bar”s zoning permit allowing for the performance of live entertainment during a public hearing on Dec. 8.
The commission”s decision suspended the permit for an unspecified time period, allowing Tavern owners the opportunity to make building changes and modifications, according to Community Development Director Richard Knoll.
Property co-owner Racheal Ferguson filed an appeal of the commission”s ruling on Dec. 13.
Knoll told the council that his staff recommended and the applicant approved of a continuance to the Feb. 15 council meeting.
City staff has been “working with the owner” to develop a plan for which the Tavern can operate with limited live entertainment privileges, Knoll said.
Sean Lyon, bar manager at the Tavern, said, “We”re trying to work with the city on this matter” and that the city and the bar are “very close to an agreement.”
“We thought that the best decision for the bar was to continue the matter,” Lyon said of the appeal hearing continuation.
The Lakeport Police Department (LPD) submitted a request to the city”s Community Development Department in mid-November to have the Tavern”s live entertainment permit revoked, citing non-compliance because of numerous allegations, including examples of loudness and rowdy customer behavior.
Lyon said the LPD allegations were “overly exaggerated” and the ensuing commission hearing “affected the business in a traumatic way.” The Tavern has seen a “dramatic decrease” in clientele and decreased sales of 60 to 70 percent since the commission ruling, Lyon said.
Interim police chief Brad Rasmussen told the council that complaint calls to LPD about the tavern “have been virtually non-existent” in the months since the filing of the revoke request.
The council unanimously approved the continuance. The appeal hearing is scheduled to be heard on Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
