51.8 F
Wrightsville Beach
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Town recommends denial of Red Dog’s ABC permit

Must read

Approval for a new alcohol permit for the owner of Red Dog’s bar in downtown Wrightsville Beach may have been hindered Nov. 12 when the board of aldermen unanimously voted against adding the town’s recommendation to the application process before the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control  (ABC) commission.

But Red Dog’s owner Charlie Maultsby said it’s the opinion of the commission — not the town — that counts.

A town recommendation, often given by town staff, is part of all ABC permit applications. Staff brought Red Dog’s application before the board of aldermen because the town and Red Dog’s have clashed for decades over the bar’s operations.

As a private club, Red Dog’s is operating in violation of town zoning laws, board members said. The bar’s patrons have caused numerous problems for police — from January 2011 to October 2015 patrons were involved in 18 incidents that resulted in injury and were cited for 27 different town code violations related to alcohol consumption and human waste.

“We’ve had an extensive history with Red Dog’s,” Wrightsville Beach Chief of Police Dan House said.

The issues stem from the clientele, not from the location itself, House added. The bar downstairs, Jimmy’s at Red Dog’s, has caused police almost no problems.

“We’ve asked [Red Dog’s] to change their music, or other things that could help the situation,” House said, “but they’ve pretty much refused to do that.”

Maultsby did not attend the meeting, but previously said Red Dog’s was unfairly blamed for incidents on the street that could have been caused by any of Wrightsville Beach’s downtown bars.

“They always try to blame it on me,” he said. “It’s typical. The last bar he came out of, so obviously he had to get drunk there.”

Wrightsville Beach took Red Dog’s to court in 2000 over the bar’s zoning violation, but the judge determined the bar’s ABC permit trumped town laws. That permit from 1979 is no longer current, it was filed under different ownership; Maultsby has since bought out the other three members of the original Red Dog’s corporation, Francis Peter Fensel, the late Joseph Wright Holeman and James Edward (Jim) Wallace.

A recommendation from the local governing body is just one part of the ABC permit application. The ABC commission also takes into account parking, traffic, zoning laws, the number of places already holding ABC permits within the neighborhood and the criminal record and character of the applicant.

But ABC commission pubic affairs director Agnes Stevens said the commission consults the local governing body because of its understanding of the community, and only occasionally does the commission go against that recommendation.

Town manager Tim Owens said he would send the town’s recommendation to the commission next week. Stevens said when the commission receives a recommendation to deny a permit, before making a final decision it typically follows up with the local governing body to “know specifically why, and what in the statute would back up that recommendation.”

email [email protected]

- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest articles